Suspended in the Ground
by mysterywriter94
Summary: "I had no idea why I was hearing Kate's voice in my head, but I knew this was real enough that I should probably listen to her,"     Is Kate dead, or what? I had to find out, and instantly regretted the mess I got myself into...
1. Chapter 1

**Okay this is something new I decided to start in, completely on a whim. I was considering it for a while…I needed a new genre to work with. So here it is…a brand new fan fiction! Yay! Though I don't own these wonderful characters, with the exception of any possible OCs. Knowing me, there probably will be. Oh and guess what? My birthday is in just a couple days! Exciting, right? I'm one step closer to finally being an adult! Noo I'm not turning 18, though I wish I were. Anyway, here is the new story, it is purely experimental, just let me know what you think.**

I stood there, trembling, staring at Kate's grave. It was a week after Ari had been killed. It was raining when I got the news that she was dead, gone from my life forever. Why did this have to happen? Why did my best friend have to leave me like this? I felt as if I had died as well. I gripped my parasol even tighter, if possible, and read the inscription.

"Special Agent Caitlin Todd, member of NCIS, died in the line of duty…" I couldn't read anymore. Tears splashed onto the flowers I had laid there, orchids to be precise. My mascara was starting to run, but I didn't care. Nothing mattered anymore, now that Kate was dead. More tears ran down my cheeks, and I started to turn away and head back to my hearse. I was probably needed at NCIS. Gibbs would be wondering where I was. I sighed and drove away from the cemetery. Life would go on, but nothing would ever be the same. Kate's desk would be empty, so I did my best to not even look in that direction as I walked toward Gibbs. But something caught my eye as I passed her desk…I couldn't help but look. It was Ziva. She was sitting at Kate's desk. For some reason, that angered me.

"Why are you sitting at her desk?" I demanded, glaring at Ziva.

"This is the only one available," she said.

"That's Kate's desk!" I almost shouted, startling her. "She always sits there! She always has her coffee right there, several inches from the keyboard, and you…you just replaced her!" I started sobbing. Ziva looked afraid of me, and uncertain at all the emotion.

"I…I don't mean to replace her," Ziva said slowly. "I'm just here to…to…"

"You were here to protect Ari, and ended up killing him. Congrats. Mission accomplished. Go home now," I stared at her coldly. She appeared unfazed by my hostility.

_Abby, why did I die?_ Kate's voice asked in my head. _I didn't ask for this. I didn't want this to happen._

"I don't know why you hate me, but I do wish to become a part of what NCIS has to offer,"

"Why? Have you always wanted this, and Kate so happened to be in your way?" As I continued ranting, I paced around Kate's desk. "You might as well have pulled the trigger yourself, you know that?" Ziva ducked her head in shame.

"I know, Abby," she murmured. "Every day I wonder what would have happened…if I had gotten there to stop him in time," My eyes went wide, and I stopped pacing. She knew about this?

"You knew he was going to kill her?" I exclaimed, my voice rising with each word.

"Yes. I watched as she fell to the ground. I watched as Tony and Gibbs searched for the killer, and their eyes nearly fell on me. I had to get out of there, in case I was accused of murder,"

"Why did you insist that Ari was innocent, then?" I asked her.

"He was my half brother. You would have done the same, even if you had seen him do it," I tried to stay angry, but I couldn't. All I felt was a terrible emptiness every time I saw Ziva sitting in that chair instead of Kate.

_I miss you, Abby_

"I miss you too, Kate," I ran down into my lab and locked the door. Bert provided a certain comfort for me. I started crying all over again when I saw the drawing Kate drew for me. She was always quite the artist.

"Oh, Kate!" I wailed. The lock in the door turned, and Gibbs stepped inside. His face was somber, but otherwise hard to read. He didn't say anything, he just held me until I finally calmed down.

"I bet you think its your fault," I said, sniffling a little. "You were right there, and you took off her only protection," Gibbs looked away.

"Yeah, exactly. I know she was shot in the head, but if she had moved at the last second, or _something_, she would have at least have gotten the chance to live a little longer,"

"You can't change the past, Abs," Gibbs said.

_What are you going to do, now that I'm gone?_

"I don't know anymore," I whispered, answering both of them. Gibbs held me tightly for a few more minutes. Rain pounded on the window from outside, reminding me of last week just days before her funeral, when I had gotten news of her death.

"Promise me it gets easier," I whimpered as he finally pulled away from me.

"Soon you'll be able to remember without a trace of sadness at all," Gibbs said, leaving the lab. Rain, rain, go away…

_I need to tell you something_

"What?"

_You are in danger…that's all I can say for now_

I had no idea why I heard Kate's voice in my head, but I knew this was real enough to know I should probably listen to her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS, but I do own this awesome plastic ring on my finger! Sweet! I also own the headphones in my ears…don't steal them!**

**A/N: If you tell me what you really think of this story, that would be great. Just tell me if it looks like I know what I'm doing, if it is any good, etc.**

**P.S. The song is "Love Hurts" by Incubus**

"Hey, Abby," Tony said. He managed a smile for me. I gave a very tiny smile back, my thoughts still on Kate's fading voice.

"Hi, Tony," My eyes drifted to what was in his hand: a Caf-Pow. I took the drink from him and just held it for now. He was quiet for a minute, and that was when I noticed something different about him. When Kate was alive, every time he came in here, he asked what song was playing from my iPod, which had a mixture of my favorites, Kate's favorites, and even McGee's and Tony's favorite songs. But this time, he just quietly listened to what was playing, absorbing the lyrics.

_**Love hurts…**_

_**But sometimes it's a good hurt**_

_**And it feels like I'm alive**_

_**Love sings**_

_**When it transcends the bad things**_

_**Have a heart and try me,**_

'_**cause without love I won't survive**_

"I loved Kate," Tony murmured. "I never got to tell her how I felt, that day, I was about to tell her too…and now I'll never know if she loved me too,"

_Oh, Tony! I love you too!_ Kate called out in my head. _If only…_

"She loves you too," I said without thinking. Tony gave me a strange look.

'How do you know?" he demanded. I took a deep breath to steady myself.

"Because, I can hear her voice in my head," There was a very long and awkward silence. I hoped that he didn't think I was crazy. He abruptly turned and ran out of the lab as fast as he could. I let him go and listened to the last few lines of the song before it changed to something I didn't recognize. My shoulders slumped and I put my head down on the table, not even mustering the energy to change the song on my iPod. Ducky entered the lab with a concerned look on his face.

"Abigail, dear, come down into the autopsy where we can talk," I nervously followed him into his lab. When we got there, I noticed the autopsy table was empty. No body today.

"Anthony here told me of you situation," he said as I sat on the table and silently looked at him. "Hearing voices is not a good sign,"

"It's just Kate's voice," I corrected. "She said that there's danger…I think this is real, Ducky," He carefully observed my answer.

"I believe you, Abby," Gibbs said from behind me. "I never met anyone more honest or sane than you," I sighed in relief. At least I wasn't looked at as completely insane. Just partially. I could live with that.

"Jethro, I am well aware of what you think…but let's be realistic here," he murmured. "I have basic knowledge on psychology, and this isn't looking good at all," He gritted his teeth.

"I'm not crazy," I insisted, glaring at Ducky. "You are just going to have to take my word for it," He glanced at Gibbs, then looked back at me. The silence was becoming too much for me. I had to find out why I was hearing Kate's voice in my head, and I knew that it wasn't the most accepted one. I stormed out of the lab and headed straight for my own lab, intending to look this up on my computer. I came to a sudden halt when I saw Kate standing there in front of me.

"What the hell?" I choked out after an endless moment just hanging there in the air. Maybe I was going crazy. Kate is dead, buried in the ground.

"You're the only one who can see and hear me, aren't you?" Kate asked softly as I approached her. This was making no sense. Couldn't someone just give me answers instead of more questions?

"Yeah, so?" I shot back. Kate just looked sad rather than offended. I felt a pang of guilt. I finally get to talk to her again, and I was treating her like this.

"You are psychic, Abby…you can see and hear spirits. I can send out my spirit to anyone that can see or hear me. I came to tell you that I can be revived, and quite easily. Ari was the killer, but you need to avenge my death by finding out who he worked for. But time is running out. They know Ari is dead, and will come after NCIS without any hesitations," Footsteps approached my lab. My eyes widened. Kate vanished just as McGee came in, his eyes very sad.

"Abs, sorry I didn't come in sooner," he said.

"It's fine T-McGee," I muttered, almost calling him 'Tim.' He cocked his head in amusement, hearing my mistake.

"You almost called me Tim. You haven't done that since-" I held up my hand, cutting him off.

"You promised you wouldn't speak of it," I reminded him. "That's a past long gone, and you know as well as I we can't bring it back," He sighed and looked over at the drawing of me crossed with a bat, which sat over by the computer, as a constant reminder of Kate.

"I always did like her drawings," McGee said sadly as an attempt to change the subject. "She said if she didn't work for us, she'd be an artist. Well, now, obviously that's not possible anymore…I miss her," The pain in his face was too much for me to bear, and I pulled him into a hug.

"I miss her too," I whispered into his ear. "It'll be okay, I promise," I stepped back and gave him the best smile I could muster. That seemed to reassure him, and suddenly he turned back into the McGee I knew so well.

"Well, at least her case is done and over with, right? Gibbs should probably be down with evidence. I heard we got a very simple case today, it shouldn't be too hard on any of us. I better get going, he'll probably want me back up there-" He turned to leave, and ran straight into Ziva.

"Sorry," he muttered, brushing past her as he went. Ziva gave McGee a curious glance. My eyes fell on the forgotten Caf-Pow. I felt thirsty and took an eager gulp from it as she came further into the lab.

"I have heard that you hear voices, Abby," Ziva said. I nearly choked on my Caf-Pow. What a way to start a conversation…

"Just Kate's," I said. "Always Kate…and only Kate,"

"Why?" That word, a word I had been trained to ask and answer in the world of science, it was something I couldn't ignore.

"I'm psychic, simple as that," Ziva didn't even have the slightest hint of shock in her face. Did she ever react to anything? Her dark eyes were watching me in a way that was making me slightly uncomfortable. At least she didn't think I was crazy. That was somewhat of a relief. I looked down at my wrists. My cuffs were particularly spiky and imposing today. They made excellent defense mechanisms in an emergency, and also made for good accessories to all of my outfits. I smiled, remembering the first time I had started wearing them. It was back in college, when my roommate kept calling me weak and useless. In response, I donned a dog collar and these wrist cuffs, plus a tattoo, all within a week. This had happened during winter break. When I returned to school, my roommate was so surprised that I was never bothered by her again. In high school, I had worn similar things, but it was more for attention than to deflect teasing and taunting.

"We have to find who Ari worked for, and fast…before time runs out," I told Ziva. "If we want Kate to be revived, then that is what we have to do,"

"The dead don't come back, Abby,"

_We'll see about that,_ Kate said smugly.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Personally, I like where this story is going…**

The next morning, I walked into the bullpen to discover a very depressed Tony at his desk, dejectedly working away on a cold case. Our other case was literally solved overnight, which meant no weekend duty, considering that today was Friday.

"Kate was the only one for me…" Tony muttered, taking a swig of wine that was on his desk. I could smell the alcohol from here.

"How many did you have?" I asked in a disapproving tone.

"Four…I think," His eyes were vacant, and he seemed pretty out of it. I frowned at him. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Ziva entering the bullpen.

"I think you need to get sent home before Gibbs sees you like this," I advised. "Ziva, do me a favor and take care of this, will you? I need to find McGee real quick," I skipped down the stairs to my lab, not surprised to see McGee there already, typing away at the computer.

"Hey, McGeek," I called out with a grin on my face. "Working on a new program?" He nodded and stepped away from Major Mass Spec.

"Yeah, just something basic. Where's Tony? I haven't heard from him all morning,"

"Hopefully going home," I replied. "He was stupid and got himself drunk,"

"Why?"

"Because of Kate. I can see her and hear the spirit she sends out, supposedly, and Tony confessed that he loved her," That was a little too much for McGee, and he promptly fainted onto the floor.

"Huh. He took it well," I remarked, dragging McGee down into autopsy. He was heavy, and I felt like I was handling a body. Ducky raised his eyebrows at the sight of me and the unconscious probie.

"What happened here, Abby?"

"The truth either sets you free…or just makes you look crazy," was all I said as Ducky helped me carry him into the lab. He seemed to understand my point, and did his best to revive McGee with a capsule of ammonia. Almost instantly, McGee jolted awake and looked around in confusion.

"Huh…wha…Abby! Don't scare me like that again!" I saw by the way he looked at me that he was expecting some stronger reaction to his fainting. Sure, I was worried. But it turned to nothing more. He and I were just not meant to be. That was the truth. Why did the truth hurt so much? I shook my head furiously, trying to focus. My thoughts weren't making any sense at this point.

"I'm sorry," I said, apologizing for more than just causing him to collapse. And then I ran out of the lab, a mess of emotions swirling inside me that I couldn't make any sense of. I continued running, heading outside and sprinting down the street. Predictably, I heard footsteps pounding behind me. I was being followed. Using my momentum, I bent my head forward to be more aerodynamic. My hair whipped around my head, making it almost impossible to see anything.

"Abby! Abby…wait…" No. I blocked out the voice and ran even faster. For once, I was glad I took track in high school. But I couldn't escape completely.

Abby, you can't run away from your problems, Kate said. I wasn't expecting her to say anything, and I was so surprised that I pitched forward and tripped over a loose brick on the walkway. I sprawled out on the ground and became aware of a throbbing pain in my shin. Blood oozed out of the wound. The footsteps caught up to me at last, and McGee was looking down at me.

"Are you okay?" I glanced down at my leg. It was just a minor scrape. Nothing serious. Ducky could have it taken care of in less than five minutes. Physically, I was fine. Emotionally, I was a mess. My thoughts went around and around in circles, and couldn't stop replaying that last night, when we could have been together forever, but I was fighting so hard against what I thought I wanted that eventually I had myself convinced he and I weren't meant to be together. I would never forget that pained look on his face when I walked out of the restaurant, saying we should just stay friends.

"I'm fine," I said at last, carefully getting to my feet. My knees buckled, and more blood flowed out of the wound and ran down my leg. The scrape was actually a moderate gash upon closer inspection. I must have fallen pretty hard in order to get and injury like that. McGee supported me on the way back to NCIS.

"Should have Ducky get a look at that…why did you run like that anyway?"

"Well why did you look at me like that?" I demanded, deflecting the question.

"I thought you'd be more worried," he mumbled, not looking at me.

"Let's face it, your collapse was pretty predictable at least half a second before I stopped talking," He said nothing. We were almost back to the building already, but it would take a while since he slowed our pace slightly.

"Abs, whenever someone is hurt, you usually go crazy and have some panic attack…but this time you're hardly looking at me. Something's wrong,"

"Nothing's wrong," I said firmly. "Just because one time I don't act like one little thing is a big deal, doesn't mean anything is different. I'm the same Abby I was yesterday and the day before that," McGee could hear my sudden shift in topics, and dropped me into the grass after I had finished speaking.

"Admit it," he commanded, and I was shocked by the intensity of his gaze. "Admit that you still love me," I bit my lip, suddenly feeling very uncertain.

.

"I…"

_Ugh, just say it!_ Kate shouted, her voice ringing in my head. _We all know how you feel; you aren't going to lose anything by admitting it after all this time._

"I love you too," I found myself saying after what felt like an endless silence. McGee pulled me up and helped me inside. For the rest of the day, nothing else happened except for Ziva watching us from her desk constantly. She had taken the responsibility of taking Tony home this morning, and had been acting very strange since then. When I questioned her during my lunch break, all she said was that drunk Tony was very interesting to be around, and just left it at that.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Ugh, okay, WOW I have no idea how this got started…but a bunch of boys started calling me a skank. Okay then…that didn't exactly make me feel good. Maybe a review or two could bring my spirits up. :/**

**Anyway, this story's plotline will pick up fairly soon, so hang in tight for those of you that are wondering if this fan fiction has a point.**

**One last thing…this story will be following along with how the characters develop in season 3, meaning the major events that happened might be mentioned, but not exactly shown.**

Chapter 4

I skipped gleefully into the bullpen, excited for the plans McGee made with me tonight. It had been one month since we started dating. Since then, there had been word of action from the Mossad all around D.C. and the bodies started piling up like crazy. Kate was soon forgotten, and became nothing more than a whisper in my head. Ziva became more distant, but I was so happy about being with McGee that I scarcely noticed. So I was surprised to see an unfamiliar man as I entered the bullpen, talking to Ziva.

"Ziva, darling, it is very simple," the man said. I recognized an accent that was similar to Ziva's.

"Father, I do not think you understand," Ziva murmured, keeping her eyes down. _Father?_ My eyes went wide in shock.

"What is there not to understand? You are part of the Mossad, not this…NCIS agency that means nothing to us. If you don't leave them soon, you will be punished,"

"I am not a child anymore," she hissed. "There is nothing you can do to me that could possibly concern me in the slightest," I stood there, frozen in place. Nobody seemed to have noticed me yet.

"What about the people you work with here? Haven't you gotten close to them in the past month or so?"

"Not particularly, as you haven't given me the chance to let me break my ties with the Mossad,"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ziva's father demanded, glowering at the woman.

"It's just as you said, being connected with the Mossad means don't trust anyone, yes? That means no friends whatsoever in my book. Until now I have been able to survive that way. Then there is the concern of Abby, who loves everyone, no matter how much I try to resist. She has a certain charm that is impossible to ignore, Father. I'm sure she'd understand our…situation, if you just let me explain myself to her-" The gray haired man furiously shook his head.

"No exceptions, Ziv, darling. Just push her away harder. I better hear about an update on her plans being thwarted sooner, rather than later," I shrank into a hidden corner as he stormed out. Try as I did to remain invisible, Ziva's eyes locked on mine. Her face was cool and calculating and calm, despite what had just happened.

"Sorry you had to see that, Abby," Ziva said, brightening up as the elevator doors closed. "Just a little family matter I had to settle," I shook my head and ran for the stairs. Ziva, someone who I hoped could be my friend, was keeping secrets. Why? My head was swirling with a million questions, and I was so preoccupied with thoughts of Ziva and her father, that I slammed very hard into Palmer in the autopsy. He fell to the ground at once, and I sprawled out on the floor in a tangled mess of black skirts and jingly jewelry. I lay there for a moment, dazed. Palmer mumbled an apology and stumbled into the autopsy table in an attempt to leave the lab. A second later, Director Shepard was there, pulling me to my feet.

"Are you all right, Abby?" she asked. I nodded uncertainly. My head pounded from the intense impact.

"My head hurts, but I'll be fine," I said.

"What happened here?" she inquired.

"It was my fault, I wasn't paying attention…oh, Palmer shouldn't have taken the blame! I should go find him,"

"It isn't a big deal, don't worry about it. I'll see if he is fine. Why don't you just sit down for a minute? That was a pretty hard fall you took there," I nodded and sank into a nearby chair. Ziva was keeping something major not only from me, but everyone here at NCIS. Was her father that important of a person to appease? I frowned, examining that statement. Family was family, after all. Maybe I should just do a little investigating, and then have her tell the truth herself when I was sure of my research. In the meantime…my thoughts returned to McGee. For now, I would just think about tonight. The Director returned, a relieved expression on her face.

"All's well that ends well. Why don't you return to your lab and finish up with that evidence for the court session tonight?"

-Meanwhile, in the bullpen-

Ziva POV

Great, now Abby will probably be demanding answers from me. I had to come up with a way to avoid her. This dilemma isn't exactly easy to deal with…being a part of the supernatural world. No, I'm not a vampire, but that would be a relief compared to what I actually am. My father, Eli David, performs unusual experiments. Genetic engineering. He studied World War II genetic testing with such feverish obsession in the past few years I grew worried about him. Then, suddenly, just before Ari was given his little fateful assignment, he approached me in our usual meeting place, a dilapidated hotel not far from D.C. He performed many experiments on me. Finally, some days later, he successfully turned me part wolf. Of course, I wasn't even aware of it until Kate died. At the moment I watched her body sink to the ground, I felt some…animal instinct to defend my claim. I felt so strange that I just ran off before anyone could see me. The other reason, a secondary one, was the fear of being discovered of course. But, knowing Abby as she was, she'd probably accept me anyway without question. I had to listen to Father, though. Ugh! Why did this have to be so confusing? I sighed and gave up on wrapping up on the paper work sitting on my desk, unable to focus.

"Something wrong?" Tony asked me as McGee silently drifted toward the elevator, probably intending to visit Abby.

"It is none of your business," I mumbled, my father's words echoing in my head.

"'Course it is, you're my friend, aren't you?" he said.

"I don't have any friends here," I replied, instantly feeling the pain and emptiness as I said it. I was careful to keep my face blank and unreadable as the hurt spread across his. I wandered over to the vending machines, hoping he'd gain the sense to ignore me for the remainder of my time here.

"But…I thought…" he protested in a sad voice. "I thought you liked me," I paused.

"What?"

"I thought you liked me as a friend, Ziva…don't you trust me?"

"I trust no one," I walked off, trying to ignore the hurt that wasn't supposed to happen. I didn't need anyone. So why did a life with no friends sound so lonely and depressing now?


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: The plot thickens! Mwahaha…uh I mean…hahaha!(That was a close one jeez I'm not evil). Anyway, it seems I have a slight lack in reviews, but as long as I think this is good enough to continue, I will do so. And now, prepare to enjoy the latest addition to my fan fiction.**

Chapter 5

-Abby's lab-

Abby POV

This world was swirled in a web of secrets and lies that were impossible to escape. Not fair, not fair, not fair…I miserably stared at Bert, who was not providing much of a comfort at the moment. Major Mass Spec whirred quietly, processing the newest fingerprint for the case that had come in just hours before. At least, I think. I had long since lost track of time after I locked myself in here, refusing to talk to anyone. Music swirled around me, but I didn't pay any attention to it. I was so lost in the pain of betrayal and grief that nothing else mattered. But Kate, being the voice of reason, made me promise not to do anything reckless, so I was forced to just lay there on the floor and suffer through each minute of the aching hole in my chest. After an amount of time I didn't care to measure, I finally got up off of the floor and discovered a Caf-Pow sitting there by the door, along with a note in familiar handwriting.

_Abs, my darling,_

_I couldn't stand to see you suffer any longer and left you a little pick-me-up. Hope it makes you a least a little happier._

The door was still locked, strangely enough. I knew Gibbs well enough that he had his ways of getting in and out without being discovered, the sly Marine. I downed the entire contents of the caffeinated soda within minutes, feeling thirstier than I thought was possible. The cherry flavor had an extra tang I wasn't quite used to, but it wasn't entirely unpleasant. I sighed with content and let the cup roll out of my hand. New energy pulsed through me, and suddenly I didn't find a need to be upset anymore. I cheerfully unlocked the door and wandered into the autopsy to talk to Ducky. The building was deserted, much to my surprise. I checked my watch and realized that it was well after nine o' clock, military time be damned. I could never get that system straight in my head, with the weird sort of thinking I had been cursed with. But it was what everyone loved about me, so why complain? I went into the bullpen, and saw all the desks were empty. Except for one, the one I was hoping for.

"It's getting late, Abs," Gibbs said. "You should head home,"

"I just wanted thank you for your little gift earlier," I said, my voice ringing with genuine gratitude. I detected a small flicker of confusion in his ice blue eyes buried behind thick glasses that changed his look entirely.

"Don't know what you mean," he muttered. "Go home, Abs, it's been a long day…" I nodded.

"Just need the last results from Major Mass Spec downstairs and I'll leave," I promised, taking the stairs back to my lab. There, another Caf-Pow awaited, with another note, in the same handwriting. I realized that this wasn't Gibbs' penmanship, though it was very similar. I ran to my computer and found a note written by the real Gibbs. I compared both notes carefully. I knew Gibbs had a messy scrawl not easy to imitate, but there was something only he did that let everyone know it was him…and that was how he signed his letters. It was just a single foreign character, but if turned on its side, it resembled a letter 'g' somewhat. But the forged note had a signature I couldn't even read properly. Yet the handwriting was distinctly male. I looked up at the screen. The fingerprint produced no results, meaning I had to expand my search once again. I paid no attention to the note and just drank the other Caf-Pow, feeling a sudden craving for caffeine after locking myself in all day. Was it a coincidence that the cherry had an even stronger tang than last time? I shook my head and left NCIS and into the car lot. Maybe I was just overreacting. My hearse awaited me just a empty parking spaces down. I didn't like this area at night. It brought some unknown fear inside. Especially tonight. I walked quickly, hoping no one would think to attack me or anything like that on a night like this. Spring was approaching in D.C., though the nights were still cool with the occasional mysterious mist that I liked to watch swirl around my feet. I heard a footstep behind me, and I stiffened in fright. A hand came down on my shoulder. I was so scared that all I managed to let out was a tiny squeak.

"Sorry, Abs,"

"Don''t you dare do that again!" I exclaimed, turning to face Gibbs. "I was about to have a heart attack just a second ago," He said nothing. I got in my car and drove off toward my apartment. The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, and I relaxed in my coffin with a good murder mystery Tim had recommended for me. Sleep seemed like a good idea as my eyelids grew too heavy to keep open. The book fell out of my hand as I drifted off…

_Everything, everything I had ever known and loved, would end in fire. I see it now. Endless, relentless flames consuming everything in sight. Charred coffin, singed books, ruined clothes. And that was only the beginning. I'd have to find a new apartment, new furniture. But the worst of it all sat in front of it. My Timmy didn't escape in time. He was gone, gone forever, in his attempt to save my life. Pain much worse than the fire devoured me from the inside, leaving nothing but an empty shell. I'd feel no longer. Life is meaningless…_

I jolted awake, drenched in sweat. I couldn't remember the dream I had last night at all, except for the smell of smoke and the taste of tears. Less than an hour later, I was leaving for work. Tomorrow would be Friday, and if the case got finished in time, nobody would have weekend duty as an obligation. That was always a relief. Tony, Ziva, and I usually hung out at the bar on Friday nights after a successful case. The bartender, Ed, and his son Kyle have taken a liking to us and we were their best costumers. The coolest part was, although we only came in once a week or so, Ed always made sure our first round was free, being the good guy he was. As the day passed, McGee…I mean Tim kept visiting me every five minutes, distracting me from my work. So, when Ziva walked in after our lunch break, she got quite a surprise.

"I love you," Tim whispered, kissing me on the lips again and again, longer and longer each time.

"Ahem," Ziva said, startling the probie. I felt a brilliant heat flood my cheeks as I took in the sight of the Mossad agent.

"I…I..um..." I stammered, trying to put my thoughts back together. McGee managed to save me.

"You want something?" he asked in a tone accented with impatience and embarrassment.

"I had already apologized to Tony for my recent behavior, and revealed the truth to him. I came to do the same with you two," And, with that, she turned into a medium sized black wolf in a matter of moments. McGee's eyes went wide, and his face paled a little, but at least he didn't faint this time. I, however, almost let out a scream that never made it out of my mouth because just then Ziva turned back to normal.

"What the hell was that?" I breathed in amazement.

"My father likes to perform…experiments," Ziva explained, wincing a little at some unpleasant memory.

"Go on," I said while Tim left the lab, looking a little green. She sighed and sat on the floor, and signaled I should too. I obeyed at once, sitting down next to her.

"It all started right before Kate died. I won't even go into detail the horrors of having various chemicals injected into my body for almost a week straight. Then, right as I got temporarily hired to work here, I discovered my abilities. My hearing is exceptional, my eyesight is far better than 20/20, and my sense of smell is incredible. But all of that is unimportant compared to what Father is trying to make me do. He suspects you are attempting to revive Kate with your psychic skills, and wants me to stop you. I tried to thwart him by pretending not to care…but that is not true, Abby. I am sorry I kept this from you, but you know how family goes. But I am starting to trust you a little more, and I think it is better than if you know than if I keep my promise to Father and betray you. I just hope Father doesn't do anything too horrible to you. He can be a little unpredictable when it comes to things like this. I think I got my natural paranoia from him…but it is hard to tell. Anyway, that is all. I don't blame you if you hate me now. I probably would."

"Are you kidding? I could never hate you," I said, and hugged her tightly for several long minutes before she started to complain of a lack of oxygen.

"Thank you," she murmured, smiling a little. "Abby, you are a true friend to me," It was only then that I became aware of the pounding in my head, which got worse the longer I thought about it. I excused myself and went into the bathroom with my purse to take a Tylenol. I shook the little bottle, but it was empty. _Crap, _I thought. The headache was fairly easy to ignore at the moment, though, so I decided not to make a big deal out of it. However, the moment I returned to my lab, it felt as if jackhammers were drilling away at the inside of my skull.

"Ugh," I muttered, wondering where this headache had come from.

"Something wrong?" Ziva asked, getting off the floor. McGee came back in, looking a little pale, but otherwise normal.

"Where've you been?" I asked him.

"Bathroom," he mumbled, starting to turn a little green again. He ran to the trash can and threw up violently.

"Must have been the shrimp," I commented. Ziva winced at the noise and smell and looked back over at me.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Its just a headache, not a big deal, Ziva," I did my best to shrug it off. McGee shuddered and finally came up for air. Ducky entered the lab, a concerned look on his face.

"Food poisoning is not something to be taken lightly, Timothy," Ducky advised. "Why don't you come into my lab. I'll see what I can do about your upset stomach," Tim had to lean on Ducky for support, that's how weak he was. I worriedly watch them slowly leave the lab together. McGee's face was very pale and drenched in sweat, just like I was that morning after the nightmare I couldn't remember.

"You sure?" she whispered. I nodded my head, wincing when that only aggravated the intense pounding in my skull. I gave her a smile to show her everything would be fine. She peered into my eyes one last time as a precaution, then left. I sighed and sank into the rolling chair I had spent many an hour spinning in during my most cheerful times. I swear, Gibbs has some kind of psychic monitor on me, because just moments later he came in and saw me sitting there with my head in my hands. He didn't say anything, just went over and started rubbing my back in a way that managed to calm me down. A second later, there was a white pill in my hand.

"For the headache, Abs," he murmured. "I've seen the signs before," And suddenly he was gone. The door closed quietly. The silence lasted for, oh, three seconds before the door banged open very loudly, not helping my headache one bit.

"Tony," I whined, letting the pill fall to the floor. "Don't do that,"

"I was told to give this to you…" he said in a confused voice, holding a Caf-Pow with yet another attached note. "Some weird people in this town, I tell you," He set the Caf-Pow on the desk and backed up a few steps. I gave him a look that would probably kill if it could.

"I have a major headache. I'm not in the mood for you antics," Tony bent down and picked up the pill.

"You better take this, then, because the Director's on the warpath about Eli David's little experiments," he warned as he handed the medication to me. I quickly swallowed it and followed the pill with a gulp of Caf-Pow. Will this headache ever go away? I sighed in disgust and put my head down on the table. Tony sympathetically rubbed my shoulders.

"Check on Tim for a minute, will you?" I said, my voice muffled by my arms and the table. As soon as I was sure the he was gone, I took out the second note and detached the third.

_This drink, though a gift from me, is not as it seems…beware._

**-E.**

I was starting to get tunnel vision, and couldn't even read the final note. I didn't bother, and just shoved it somewhere for safekeeping to examine later. Gibbs would be demanding answers, so I continued working as if there was nothing wrong. The Caf-Pow tasted especially good today, though a little bitter. I frowned, and took another pull at the straw. Something wasn't quite right here with this drink…I peeked inside the cup. Everything looked normal. I shrugged and slurped up the last of my favorite beverage. I briefly wondered who was giving me all the Caf-Pows before realizing it was probably unimportant and just focused on my work, examining the suspect's computer from the inside out. McGee had taken it apart, having explained that Gibbs thought there was something important in the hard drive that couldn't be found in the actual computer's database. I squinted at all the wiring, and noticed a small sheet of paper tucked within the depths of the workings of the computer. I tugged it gently out of place and unfolded it…the paper turned out to be a letter I realized that I probably should have never opened.

_**My dearest Ziva,**_

_**I have successfully completed the first part of the mission you have repeatedly refused to take part in. So, I am disowning you as a member of the Mossad and cutting off your family inheritance. You are a shame to the family name. I am livid at your rebellious behavior. How can you act so stubborn, after all I have done for you? All I can say is, I hope you are happy with you reckless choices.**_

_**Enclosed here is the last of your money from your Israel bank account, turned into US dollars. It is your payment for being such a good little experiment. I'll have to warn you about your precious friend named Abigail Sciuto, however. She is a danger to us, so soon she will be…indisposed.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Eli David(Father)**_

On the floor was at least a thousand dollars in cash that had fallen out of the note. It had been folded so carefully that had hardly taken up any space. I set the letter on the keyboard, wondering what all this meant. I will be indisposed? Suddenly, I thought of the Caf-Pows coming from a mysterious source. E. Of course. Eli…I smacked my hand on my forehead. The Caf-Pows were poisoned, I bet. I couldn't let any of the others know. Surely there had to be a cure. I ran to a medicine cabinet and found a syringe. A blue vein on my wrist stuck out a little, as if it knew what my intended task was. I took my own blood sample, very carefully, and had it analyzed. Within minutes, it came up with a long list of poisons I was unfamiliar with. My heart sank. There was no way I'd be able to decipher this. But I wasn't going down without a fight.

_Eli David, according to my sources, will be in town next week. If you last till then, that day is your chance._

I smiled thoughtfully at Kate's useful piece of news. Surely, I'd last until then. What was the worst this poison could do to me? A sudden spasm of pain that wracked my chest for several minutes was the answer. As soon as the headache had come, it left. Maybe the poison was wearing off. Suddenly I felt very tired, and presently began to drift off to sleep…


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: A quick word to you readers. Sorry that Tim hasn't been an important part of this story, but he will return, I promise you! I just needed to build up the plot a little.**

Chapter 6

Director Shepard's POV- some hours later, during the late afternoon

The elevator doors dinged and mechanically glided open. I carefully stepped out and headed for Abby's lab for a report, since I made Gibbs take a distraught Ziva home just minutes before. None of the usual music was blasting through the metal door that was the entrance to Abby's lab, which I took as a bad sign. Silence was never a good thing.

"Abby?" I queried. Silence. I bit my lip, hesitating at the door. Perhaps she wished to be left alone? WWGD? What would Gibbs do? Just open the door already, Jen, I thought. I slowly turned the doorknob and found Abby asleep at her desk in the rolling chair. Poor lab rat must be exhausted. I approached her, and found empty Caf-Pows on the floor. I took her into my arms and carried her down to autopsy. She didn't weigh very much, which made the job easier. Ducky, who was just putting a body away, looked up as I came in.

"What happened too poor Abigail?" he murmured as I laid her down on the autopsy table.

"Not sure, Ducky," I said. "Try and wake her up, I'll go tell Tony that I'm leaving early today and he should be too. It's been a long day,"

"That it has," he agreed quietly. "You be careful now, Jen. Don't overextend yourself. Remember what happened last time,"

"I remember," I left the lab, hoping Abby would be okay.

General POV

Some time later, Abby woke up, looking somewhat disoriented. She groggily sat up. Ducky frowned. She was very pale and weak. Abby coughed, and to his shock blood dripped out of her mouth onto her hand in response. Years and years of scientific training made him long since immune to the sight of blood, but seeing Abby like this even made him slightly worried.

"What happened, dear Abigail?" he asked gently.

"Poison...weak...hurts," she whimpered, coughing up more blood.

"Poison?" Ducky repeated.

"Ziva...father...K-Kate said..." her voice gave out and she coughed again, much harder this time.

"What did our dear friend Caitlin say?"

"H-hold on...until he...comes," Abby rasped. She winced at the pain in her throat, and was unable to talk anymore.

"Mr. Palmer, keep her breathing, and get a blood sample from her if you can," Ducky instructed. "I have to investigate Abby's lab for evidence of poison," Whoever had poisoned the sweet, gentle lab rat everyone loved would surely pay. Ducky made a silent promise to tell Gibbs to have it out on who had a grudge against Abby. McGee ran into the lab, and Ducky stepped aside to let him by.

"Where's Abby?" McGee panted, a wild look of desperation in his eyes. Ducky sadly looked back over at the suffering forensics specialist, who was currently coughing her lungs out all over a baffled Palmer. Splatters of blood colored his otherwise white lab coat.

"Abby," he choked, stumbling forward toward her. Abby managed a small smile as Ducky left the lab.

"Hey," she rasped. "Don't worry, this is practically nothing. Did you need something?" McGee frowned and saw through her façade at once.

"Abs, you're coughing up blood and you count this as nothing?" he asked incredulously. She shuddered and shook her head.

"Tim, if you wanted to talk, just talk. This isn't about me," Her eyes grew hard with determination, showing a little more light than before. McGee sighed, knowing his efforts were futile. Before he could answer, however, Abby coughed violently for several minutes, and Palmer tried to get her airways to clear as blood splattered onto his lab coat, more than earlier. Her face was steadily growing paler. Little did they know that things were about to take a turn for the worse for Abby.

"I thought you had food poisoning," Palmer said when Abby finally stopped coughing and drifted off to sleep.

"I'm fine now," McGee told him. "What happened to Abby?"

"She was poisoned, very badly, by the looks of things. Dr. Mallard should be back soon with evidence…should get a blood sample before he gets here,"

"Poisoned? How?" McGee asked. Ducky walked in with an empty Caf-Pow.

"With this, I'm afraid," Ducky said sadly. "It's a lucky thing I discovered the contents of the poison now, because by the looks of things, if we don't do something soon, Abigail may not make it," As if in response to his statement, Abby's breathing started to quicken for no apparent reason and Palmer threw a panicked glance at Ducky.

"Check her heart rate," Ducky ordered. "I will attempt to find an antidote for our precious Abby," He went into the back room, cup and all. McGee glanced at his other hand as he left. There was a few crumpled pieces of paper with writing on them.

"Ducky, what are those?" he called, pointing at the papers. He acted as if he had not heard McGee.

"Her heart rate is well over one hundred, Doctor…" Palmer said in a worried voice. Still Ducky said nothing, frantically going through file after file in his computer at the same frenzied pace Abby would have on any normal day. But this was no normal day. Whatever normalcy that may have existed had long since faded the moment Abby had woken up on the table.

"Abby, snap out of it!" Palmer shrieked. "You're having a nightmare, stop-ouch!"

"Gibbs…" Abby moaned, tossing and turning on the table. "Don't die! I already…no!" The last word was a shriek of pain that tore at everyone's eardrums. She started sobbing in her sleep, and McGee tried to calm her down as Ducky continued his research. Tony wandered into the lab, and stared in shock at the scene before him. Abby was shrieking and kicking, squirming relentlessly as McGee and Palmer tried to hold her down. Ducky had a panicked look on his face as he continued to type at the keyboard, his hands flying across the keys with a surprising amount of grace and speed. Tony shuffled forward, his face blank with disbelief. After a minute, he took out his cell phone and called Ziva.

"Zee-vah, we need a ninja to help out here," he said, which was a Tony-ism for 'things look pretty bad, we need your help,'

"I'll be there in five minutes. Gibbs left my apartment fifteen minutes ago," The call disconnected a second later. During the time Tony took to venture toward the autopsy table, three things happened. First, Abby's screams suddenly cut off and gave way to a round of coughing. Second, Ducky hit a firewall covered in endless coding even McGee would have a hard time dealing with. And the third thing that happened was there was a very loud thud upstairs. Tony tore himself away form the scene and went searching for the source of the noise.

Ziva POV

I ran with all the strength I had, sensing things were very wrong back at NCIS. My black paws slammed against soft dirt and stirred up fear in animals in the forest around me. Using my sense of smell, I tracked a detour to NCIS that would leave me unseen. Finally, I arrived at my destination and morphed back to human. Luckily, with the style of clothes I wore, I didn't have to worry about being naked every time I changed between forms. I casually walked past security and into the building. Autopsy was the basement, I reminded myself. Perhaps Ducky knew what was going on. Walking into the lab now, I discovered something far, far worse than I had imagined. McGee leaned over Ducky's shoulder, murmuring decoding instructions. Palmer nursed bleeding wounds on his exposed arm that I recognized to be fingernail marks. But the worst of it all was Abby, who was coughing and thrashing about in her sleep. Blood was everywhere, and judging by her impossibly pale and clammy skin, it was all hers. I walked straight up to Abby, who calmed down the second I got close. Palmer sighed in relief.

"She's been like that for the past half hour," Palmer said. "The poison is really starting to get to her. I doubt she could last overnight,"

"How can you say that? Abby is a very strong person. I am sure she will find a way to hang on," Suddenly, her eyes snapped open and she looked up at me.

"Ziva…" Abby whispered hoarsely. "Kate knows…" She sighed softly as her voice started to give out.

"Knows what?" I asked.

"Antidote," she breathed. Her eyes were glazed over, staring at something I couldn't see. As if on cue, there was a ding from the computer, and Ducky looked up at us in both surprise and relief.

"Got it," McGee said with a small smile on his face.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I suppose it will sound too desperate at this point if I continue to beg for reviews. Ah, well. One tries, right? Not sure why this story isn't good enough for reviews…maybe I need to amp up the suspense and drama…hehehe.**

Chapter 7

Gibbs POV

I trudged into the NCIS building, wondering what news Tony could possibly have that would be important enough to draw me away from my boat.

"All right, what is the news…?" My voice trailed off as I took in the scene before me. Abby, on the autopsy table, struggling to draw in each breath as if the oxygen in the air pained her. Tony, on the floor, reassuring Jen of something. McGee and Ducky, anxiously waiting for something. Palmer, awkward and out of place on the lab. But…wait. Someone was missing. My eyes scanned the area once, then twice. She was gone. The most mysterious part of my team had disappeared.

"Where is Ziva?" I asked, finally regaining the use of my voice. Abby shuddered and turned over in her feverish sleep. At least, I thought it was sleep.

"She is getting the antidote for Abby," Ducky explained. I gave him a look that said, 'you better explain yourself,'

"Of course, Jethro," he murmured. "I'll tell you everything I know. Abby has been poisoned by some enemy, and during our frantic research, Anthony here found Jennifer passed out in her office due to mysterious circumstances. I have yet to hear what the news is on that," Abby let out a small whimper of pain, and I felt a rush of fatherly protection for the suffering girl. I flitted to her side.

"Abs, you're safe now," I whispered, kissing her forehead.

"…tell Gibbs about this?" I heard Jen say, and I perked up at the sound of conversation.

"Relax, Director. I'm sure he will understand," Tony said.

"Understand what?" I interrupted, causing Jen to stand up. She swayed slightly upon standing, and Tony had to support her. I noted on how her face took on a sort of pale, nauseous look momentarily before becoming generally unreadable.

"I'm pregnant, Jethro," she said. Instinctively, my eyes drifted to her stomach.

"How long?"

"Almost a month," She was starting to show a little.

"Who's?"

"Remember, that one night?" I inwardly cursed at my stupidity. Jen waited for me to respond.

"Well, congrats, and thanks for telling me this at the worst of times," I muttered sarcastically. Palmer shuffled over to Ducky and asked a question I did not hear. Abby started coughing wildly, flecks of blood spraying onto her arm in response. I felt a tug of pain in my heartstrings at seeing her like this. But there was nothing to be done about it until Ziva returned, so I just turned my attention back to Jen.

"Well, I thought you would be thrilled at the prospect of being a father again," Jen said briskly, layers of offense and pain combined with sadness in her voice. That was when I decided to break one of my own rules, feeling an overwhelming desire just looking in her eyes.

"I'm sorry," And then I leaned over and kissed her, very softly, and gently, like I used to with Shannon when Kelly was in the room. Jen closed her eyes and sank into my arms, seeming to trust me more than she did when she first became Director.

Abby's POV

Pain comes in many forms. It can be devised for torture, or can be a complete accident. In this case, pain was completely unavoidable for me. Each breath I took was only a mere gasp between my clenched teeth, but even that wracked spasms of pain through my chest, and brought on a fresh round of coughing that didn't cease for whole minutes at a time. Strange, senseless image flashed in my head that I didn't bother to decipher due to the impossible ache in my throat that never stopped no matter how much I coughed and wheezed. My eyes started to water from the lack of oxygen, but nobody paid any attention to me.

"Help…me!" I gasped. Hands wiped off my clammy forehead and voices attempted to comfort me, but did nothing to abate the pain. It felt like m throat was tearing apart from the inside. A hot boiling sensation came from deep down in my chest, and I bent over to vomit up a surprising amount of blood onto the floor. I had never seen so much blood come out of my body before in my life. I started to feel dizzy and weak, not that I wasn't before…just even more so than earlier. In the faintest part of my attention, a door banged open and someone ran in. I was laid back down on the table the second I could breathe again, or at least draw some air painfully into my lungs, if that could be called breathing. A liquid that tasted faintly of citrus was tossed down my throat, and I drank in an eager rush from the bottle that was pressed to my lips. Finally, when all the possible contents ha been emptied, I drifted off to a deep sleep I didn't think anyone could wake me up from.

_The life in their favorite gothic forensic specialist was slowly draining away. Her breathing grew ragged and labored. The coughing grew more frequent, if that were possible. But after Ziva had forced the antidote down her throat, the reversal was very slow, but evident. They anxiously waited for the moment Abby would wake up. Ten minutes passed, then twenty. Her coughing began to cease. Another half hour passed in complete silence, during which her nightmares vanished entirely and she was able to breathe with much more ease than hours before. At long last, after an hour of anxious waiting, her eyelids fluttered slightly. McGee let out a soft sigh that sounded like a mixture of relief and longing. Abby's pale face slowly regained color, and without the makeup, the probie could see just how naturally beautiful she was. Her full lips pursed open, trying to form a word or name of some sort. Then, at last, she was able to get enough air through her nose to let out what was on her mind._

"_Tim…my," she breathed. "L-love you," Then she sank back into a sleep so deep it was unbelievable she had almost woken up._

-Later-

Abby's POV

I wearily opened my eyes and found myself in autopsy. Finally, no coughing or wheezing. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out in a gust. I don't think I'll be drinking Caf-Pow for quite some time. I was completely alone, yet I did not feel lonely. Finally, the pain was gone, and the significant difference between how I felt the last time compared to now was such a shock that I laughed in surprise and relief. It felt so good just to be alive in that moment. The door opened and McGee walked in, a smile on his face.

"Abby," he sighed, taking in the sight of me.

"I must look like a wreck without my make-up," I said, now realizing that my face felt very different as well.

"You look beautiful," he murmured, pressing his lips on my cheek. Blush tinged my cheeks with the heat of the passionate love I had for him. I kissed him back fiercely, full on the lips. But then, all too soon, we got interrupted by Ziva walking in.

"Why does this always happen?" Ziva said, a smile of amusement on her face as both of us blushed fiercely this time.

"Call it a coincidence," McGee said, grinning at her.

"I am glad to see you are okay, Abby," Ziva said to me. "The others were very worried, and so was I,"

"Well, all this excitement has made me starving," I announced, just as my stomach growled.

"Let's go out for dinner," McGee suggested. "Tony and the others can meet us at that pizza place downtown," I nodded eagerly in agreement, and we left the lab together.


	8. Chapter 8

**Ah…ahem. Okay. I have come up with something that will ultimately improve the story. Obviously, seeing the lack of reviews, there must be something I am doing wrong. Well, sorry I have not updated sooner, but I got myself grounded again. Long story I don't have the time or inclination to even begin to explain. Anyway, without further ado, here is chapter 8.**

For the next six weeks, I was carefully watched over by everyone; even Palmer warily guarded me every moment he could. On week six of protection protocol, I had had enough of being suffocated like this. Surprisingly, this wasn't Gibbs' idea, but Ziva's. So it was Ziva I marched straight up to on an average spring morning.

"I'm sick of this!" I declared. Ziva merely looked at me, as if I had just announced the weather.

"I'm going for a walk," I continued, feeling the bravado wear off slightly. "Nobody better follow me," I stormed out of the bullpen, taking the elevator. Finally, I was outside, all alone. Walking along in the Navy Yard, I let my thoughts wander. For the past few weeks, McGee had gotten quite intimate with me as we continually fell asleep watching movies at either his apartment or mine. Ziva had been distant ever since she had found out about the letter, as if she were planning something. Every time I asked her about it, she merely brushed me off and mumbled something in Hebrew. I heard footsteps following me. Instinctively, I came to a halt and tensed up.

"You shouldn't be out here alone," Jenny said. I sighed in relief.

"Just needed time to think," The Director came closer to me.

"About what?" I replied vaguely, Ziva's face popping up into my head. Maybe whatever was bothering her would come out in time.

"They mean well by protecting you," she said. "Especially Ziva. This is her father we are talking about, not some rouge rapist," I winced at the word 'rapist.' She didn't notice.

"Why don't you come inside? It is getting pretty hot out here," I shook my head. She sighed and left me alone at last. The Director was right. It was hot out here, especially for a spring morning in D.C. But there was no way I was going back inside to be constantly watched over like some child about to collapse any minute.

"This heat wave will probably last till next weekend," a man said into his cell phone as he tried to get past me. "Nearly a hundred degrees, I'm telling you, Rex. Gotta go. Some gothic chick is in my way. Weirdos, right?" He laughed and hung up.

"Excuse me, but the gothic chick is with NCIS," I snapped. The man just shrugged and kept walking.

"Hey you!" a gruff voice said. I spun around to see…Ziva's father. Oh great. I gulped nervously and approached the gray-haired man.

"Are you Abigail Sciuto?" I nodded, feeling very numb.

"Would you be willing to reveal how you communicate with the late Special Agent Caitlin Todd?" I refused to answer.

_Don't do it,_ Kate whispered fearfully. _He has the Power._ I frowned in confusion. What did that mean? Blue eyes flashed and focused on me. I felt myself being pulled forward. I dug my feet into the ground, but it did nothing to the tugging sensation I felt. The next moment, we were in the cemetery in front of Kate's grave. This place was always strange. Clouds hung over in the sky no matter the weather outside the area. Mist constantly swirled, giving a mysterious air to the area. I shivered and faced Ziva's father.

"I'm not telling you anything," I called out boldly.

"No matter," he said with an air of confidence. "I have other means of making you talk." He unsheathed a knife and stalked toward me.

_I'll protect you_, Kate exclaimed, and I felt something soft wrap around me. _Just trust me on this._

"Do as you please, but like it's going to make me care," I said easily, wondering what Kate had planned.

"You asked for it," The knife flew through the air. It sunk into my stomach, but I felt no pain. No blood spilled. Eli David gave me a look of fear, something that did not fit his features properly. He turned and ran off. I pulled out the knife and tossed it aside.

_I'll transport you back to NCIS._ A moment later I was standing back in the Naval Yard. The sudden heat beating upon my back was overwhelming, and I swayed on my feet. I shakily started back for the familiar building looming over me, just as a figure ran p to me. The dizziness made my vision blurry, but I could clearly recognize Ziva standing there in front of me. I sagged against her, unable to stand any longer.

"Abby?" she said, peering into my face. "Let's get you inside, you look about ready to pass out," I let her support my weight on the way inside, into the coolness of the bullpen, and then I let myself collapse into the chair at her desk.

"Why were you wandering around in the heat like that?" Ziva asked. I didn't answer, tuning in to Kate instead.

_Eli David is an experimenter. Well, he experimented on himself one day and gave himself incredible Power. He can hurt half spirits like me. A half spirit is just that, a person who died and crossed to the other side. They are the ones who can communicate with the physical world. Some half spirits remain in close contact with psychics they trust._

"Look, I know this protection thing is stressful but it won't be for much longer," Ziva said gently. "I think my father finally returned to his business with the Mossad, so it is all safe now," I just nodded, not finding my voice yet.

"Let me know if Tony starts to get on your nerves; it is his shift until lunchtime. McGee is taking over for you in the lab today." She walked over to MTAC to talk to the Director and Gibbs.

"Abby? You're being unusually quiet," Tony remarked. "Something on your mind?" I bit my lip. Something wasn't right. My stomach churned unpleasantly. I ran off to the bathroom a second later, my hand clamped firmly over my mouth. Footsteps followed me. When my stomach was finally empty, the stall door opened. I still felt horrible, but at least I could breathe now. Nope, scratch that. I threw up again, not caring who was standing there and worrying about me.

"Abby?" Tony asked anxiously. I just groaned in response. "You okay? You just ran off looking…" I wiped my mouth and stood up. My stomach appeared to have settled. Maybe it was something I ate last night.

"Food poisoning, I think" was my hesitant response. I cleaned myself up and brushed past him to the sink.

"I'll…take care of things in here. There are some breath mints on my desk. Help yourself. Are you sure you-"

"Yes," I interrupted. "I'm fine, okay?" I gave him a reassuring smile and took off. _What the hell was that?_ I thought.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So sorry I haven't updated…life gets in the way, you know. Anyhoo, here is the long anticipated chapter 9, as promised.**

A month passed by very quickly. I still had strange spells of nausea that came in went nearly every morning in waves. Finally I came around to purchasing a pregnancy test in secret. I anxiously waited in the bathroom for the results. The door swung open and I quickly stuffed the pregnancy test into my belt so it wouldn't be seen. I casually leaned against the counter as Ziva came in.

"Are you doing okay? McGee told me to check on you," I nodded. She gave one last quick once over on me and then left. I looked at the small screen on the device. Positive. As the door opened again I tossed the pregnancy test into the trashcan and ran out, brushing past the Director. As soon as I was alone in my lab I allowed the panic to show on my face. I shut my eyes and tired to calm down. There was no way I was going to let this affect my work.

_Abby, you're melting through the floor,_ Kate announced calmly. I glanced down to see that my legs were completely gone, and I was continuing to sink down through the floor as if I had gained the consistency of some kind of liquid ghost. Autopsy was right below me, meaning I'd fall right onto the table at the rate I was going. I struggled to pull myself up, but I was sinking too fast, and now the lower half of my body was gone.

"Somebody…help!" I called. No answer. I felt my stomach disappear, then my arms as well, all the way up to my elbows. I kicked my legs, and found I could still feel them. But where were they?

"Help me!" It was too late. I fell through the floor and landed in autopsy, just managing to land on my feet as Ducky walked in.

"What on earth?" Duck asked, staring at my panicked expression. I brushed myself off.

"Just thought I'd drop in," I joked, trying to make light of the situation. Ducky looked up at the ceiling.

"How…where…" he murmured. I followed his gaze, but saw nothing unusual about the ceiling, say, a huge gaping hole or a pile of quicksand dripping down from the above floor.

Director POV

I was getting ready to leave the bathroom when something white in the trashcan caught my eye. I carefully dug it out to see it was a pregnancy test. It read positive. My first thought was Ziva. But then I remembered Abby, and how for the past month she had been behaving a little more off the wall than usual. Suddenly, all the pieces came together and then I knew.

"Director?" McGee called. "Gibbs had something to ask you," I dropped the pregnancy test in surprise.

"I'll-I'll be right there," I stammered, trying to remain calm.

McGee POV

The Director looked oddly flustered as she left the bathroom, which made me a little suspicious. Maybe she was hiding something. I went into the bathroom and found a pregnancy test on the floor that clearly read positive. Was the Director pregnant, or was it someone else? The only person I could think of that showed any signs of being pregnant was-

"Abby," Her name was forced out between my teeth in a chocked whisper of shock. I turned and ran out of the bathroom, heading straight for the elevator and nearly running into Ziva.

"Where is the liar?" Ziva asked as I came to a halt.

"It's fire," I sighed, pressing the button for the elevator doors to open. Ziva grumbled something in Hebrew and followed me into the now open elevator.

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

"I think Abby might be pregnant," I said. Ziva blinked, not surprised at all. Nothing ever seemed to phase her.

"That wouldn't surprise me if it were true," she said. "The symptoms only make sense," She got off at the same time I did, but instead headed for the conference room instead of Abby's lab. I turned and walked down the hall. Her door was closed, but not locked. This was it. This was the moment that would change my life forever. I sucked in a shaky breath and opened the door, and was met with something unfamiliar. An eerie silence settled into the lab as I walked in. All the machinery was off, along with the lights and the stereo. But where was her? The love of my life, the very reason I ever even bothered visiting this usually lively place?

"Gone," I croaked, answering my own question. On the floor was her cell phone. No way to contact her. Abby had vanished without a trace.

Abby POV

Dark. Everything is so dark. I can't see anything. Ropes bound my arms behind my back in an uncomfortable position. More scratchy ropes kept my ankles tied together. My mouth was dry, and I tried to swallow, without much success. According to my position, I was laying down in some type of duffel bag. But _where_? I squirmed around, and felt the ropes begin to loosen. I struggled harder, and felt something kick me in the side.

"Stop it," a gruff voice growled. "I need you to keep still or else they'll start to think you aren't a mannequin after all." I knew that voice. Eli David, Ziva's father. The ropes were a little looser now, and I managed to get my hands free.

"Are you boarding here, sir?" a familiar voice said. Oh my God. I held my breath.

"I most certainly am," Eli replied confidently.

"I'll need to search your bag, sir,"

"There won't be a need for that," Eli said. "I'm sure there's nothing dangerous or breakable in there," A stick sharply poked the side of the bag, hard enough to cause pain.

"Ouch!" I mumbled.

"What was that?" the familiar voice said. No. This was an illusion. My brother…my baby brother couldn't be _here_, of all places. Daniel. I hadn't even thought of the name in who knows how many years. I heard a zipping sound, and suddenly light and sound rushed into the duffel bag. The next thing I knew, I was being yanked out onto my still tied feet. Eli David was long gone. Daniel untied the rope and tossed it aside.

"Abby! What are you doing here?" Daniel exclaimed after a minute.

"I could ask you the same," I replied, glancing at my surroundings. I was on a cruise ship, headed….somewhere I didn't really care about.

"I got a job here until I can afford college," he said.

"You didn't get the scholarship?" I asked. He sadly shook his head.

"They ran out of money right as they got to my name. Budget cuts, you know," I nodded in sympathy. Money sucked sometimes, especially if you didn't have enough of it.

"You should visit my workplace in D.C. Keep an eye out for me on the news on Naval crimes. You might catch a glimpse of me,"

"You're an FBI agent?" he asked in awe.

"Close. NCIS. Naval Inves-"

"I know what it stands for," he interrupted. "I heard you guys recently lost someone," My face twisted in pain as I remembered seeing Kate's body.

"Kate," I whispered, feeling breathless suddenly.

_Death is only part of life…but as you know I did not deserve to die._ I sighed and looked at my brother again.

"I am sorry about you loss. I'll tell the guys I'm on break. This ship doesn't take off for another hour, so it won't matter if I step out for a minute."

"I just realized I left my phone back at work. Is there a pay phone nearby?" Daniel nodded and pointed out one fifty yards away. I thanked him and ran off. Hopefully I still had some change tucked into my belt. I dug out a quarter and stuck it into the slot. Slowly and confidently, I began to dial the number I trusted most.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Gibbs," I whispered. "Find me. Please. I was kidnapped and I just barely got away…my phone is in my lab,"

"I know. I have McGee here. Tracing your call now…" As I waited for results, a hand came down on my shoulder with much more force than implied friendliness. The phone clattered to the sidewalk. Another hand roughly covered my mouth, preventing my opportunity to scream.

"Didn't think I was going to get away that easy, did you? We are going to Isreal whether you like it or not, Abigail Sciuto," I was violently dragged onto the cruise ship, and Daniel stared in shock at the sight of me. My name formed on his lips. I reached out for him, but was unable to respond. He firmly turned and ran for the pay phone, and started talking frantically into it. I hoped that Gibbs would trust him enough to think of the information as verifiable. Meanwhile, Eli continued to yank me along to an unknown fate.


	10. Chapter 10

Ziva POV

I barreled along at lightning speed, following first Abby's scent, then my instincts. But when I got to the port, I was too late. I screeched to a halt, watching the cruise ship sail away. I gritted my teeth and leapt into the water, wincing as the fall hurt me more than I had anticipated. Ignoring the increasing pain from my fall, I swam with all my strength and speed toward that cruise ship, gaining ground inch by inch. Finally, I was close enough to dig my claws in and just climb. I ignored alarmed passengers and found Eli continuing to drag Abby toward to lower decks, though she did her best to fight back. I changed back to human form and ran at my father, flashbacks of my childhood running through my head. Of how, every single day, I had been lied to about what my father did in between his working days, those "business trip" he took, resulting him coming home so exhausted he never bothered to pay attention to anything else but resting up for the next day. I shoved Eli into the nearest passenger, grabbed Abby by the arm, and ran for it.

"You're hurting me!" Abby gasped, twisting away from me as I kept running.

"Hold your breath," I muttered, just as I took a flying leap into the ocean. The moment we were airborne, hands linked, seemed to last forever, but in reality was less than a minute. It was enough time for me to clear my head and suck in enough air for when we finally slammed into the water and plunged several feet under the waves. Abby slipped out of my grasp and swam for shore as fast as she could. Luckily the dock was still in sight, and it took only ten minutes to get there. Abby shuddered, gulped, and then looked over at me. Her mascara was running down her face, and her hair was plastered to her forehead. She looked like a child with the way she was looking at me.

"That wasn't exactly the most conventional route for escape," she said breathlessly, still worn out from the short swim. I shrugged and headed for the road. Abby anxiously followed me.

"Where are you going?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly. I hailed a cab and she got in with me.

"Where to?" the driver inquired in a heavy implacable accent. I gave him the address to NCIS, and he started driving away at once.

"Don't you have a cell phone?" Abby asked.

"Not with me at the moment, no," I responded.

"Is Timmy mad at me?" He face grew sad and guilty.

"Why would he be mad?"

"I've sort of been keeping a secret…"

Director POV

I was surrounded with a number of choices, seeing as the elevator was malfunctioning. I could push the open button, as I had a number of times, or I could just scream for help.

"Gibbs!" I shrieked. "Get me out!" Silence.

Abby POV- thirty minutes later

I tried pressing the elevator button, only to discover it wasn't working. No big deal. I'd just take the stairs…then suddenly I heard something totally unfamiliar to me. The Director screamed. I ran in the direction of the scream and saw the elevator was moving down. Very fast. I thought quickly and pulled my boots off. I shoved them into the elevator shaft, hoping it would jam the mechanism. Sure enough, that was exactly what happened. The elevator screeched to a stop just moments before it slammed to the basement. Ziva came up to me.

"What happened?"

"The elevator malfunctioned and I was just able to save the Director," I said.

"How do you know she is in there?" she asked.

"Lucky guess?" I shrugged and called a mechanic to get the Director out of the elevator.

"I hope she is alright," Ziva said.

Director POV

The fall of the elevator had caused me to fall onto my stomach on the opposite wall, bruising it and possibly causing a miscarriage. That was the least of my worries at the moment. I quietly sat in the corner, waiting for my eventual rescue and wondering why nobody had known I was in danger until it was too late.

McGee POV

By the time I heard the Director's scream and had come out of autopsy, I saw the mechanic was excavating what was left of the elevator. On its very fast fall down, it had scraped up the sides to the point that the scarring would be permanent. Moreover, the doors would not open. The mechanic was able to open the elevator a few inches with a crowbar and pull out the Director. She was a little dazed, but otherwise appeared fine. I called for Gibbs, and he appeared at once.

"Jen, you okay?" he asked. She nodded, pulling herself together.

"I should have the elevator up and running by next week," the mechanic said. "Looks like there was a problem with the wiring…oh, and I also got these," He held up a pair of slightly mangled boots. Abby jumped up from her sitting position by the wall and grabbed them.

"Yay!" she squealed. "The boots that saved Jenny's life are okay!" She put them back on her feet and they immediately fell apart. Abby frowned, but did not let that upset her. She hugged the Director tightly.

"I…can't breath!" the Director gasped. Abby abruptly let go, and then the woman began to breathe more normally.

"I think I might have gotten a miscarriage," she said after a minute. "I'll have Ducky investigate,"

"Miscarriage?" Abby repeated. "How?"

"Maybe she slammed into the wall too hard," I suggested. Ziva had remained very quiet during the whole ordeal, and after the Director left, she silently slipped away and sat down at her desk. It was then I realized both Abby and Ziva were soaking wet.

"Why are you two all wet?" I asked.

"Ziva took some major methods to my rescue from that cruise ship. Eli had kidnapped me. Do you have my phone?" I nodded, and handed it over to her.

"I'm glad to see you are safe and sound. Ducky might have towels down in autopsy. All you have to do is ask," She grinned and went down the stairs in wet socks and smeared makeup. I smiled back even though she couldn't see it. I turned to see that during all of this, Gibbs had disappeared. Tony came out of MTAC and looked down at me.

"Hey…why are Abby's boots missing their owner, McGeek?" he called.

"Long story," I said.

"I've been waiting over half an hour for the Director to come up here for our meeting and she never showed. Where is she?"

"Down in Autopsy making sure she didn't end up getting a miscarriage for some unknown reason,"

"Hey, what happened to the elevator?" he asked as he came over to me.

"Like I said, long story," I repeated, going down the stairs to Abby's lab. Tony stopped me, and I looked at him. Looks like Abby would have to wait. I sent her a quick message, promising that I'd be there soon.

Director POV

This was devastating. A miscarriage. I had dreamed of being a mother, but now that right was snatched away before I had the chance. Ducky says I'll be lucky to even have kids again. I waited for Ducky to take me to the doctor to have the dead fetus removed. Tears streaked down my face, though I continually told myself I'd try again next time. But it wouldn't be the same. The first is always supposed to be the most perfect, the healthiest of all.

"Jennifer, are you ready to go?" Ducky asked quietly. I nodded, a tear splashing onto the floor. We left, just as Tony came in.

"What-" I shook my head, cutting off his question at once.

"Sorry. Not today, Tony," I told him. "Tell the others they can go home if they want. We're done here for the day," He sighed, but obeyed orders.

"I feel as if I've lost something precious," I said to Ducky.

"That's because you have," he replied.

"I'll never get to know my first child now. It was a girl, you know," I told him of all the plans I had for her; the nursery all ready to go, the toys I purchased, the dresses I spent lots of money on. He listened attentively without interruption, and by the time I had finished we were almost there.

"I can only imagine the pain you must be going through after such a loss, but I do understand of witnessing the death of someone who deserved to live a full life," My first thought was Kate, a woman I had never known but was aware that her loss was a huge toll to NCIS. Abby believed she could bring Kate back simply by following orders. The naïve forensic specialist is more than likely to be severely disappointed by that fantasy. But…considering that Ziva had become different because of her father, and Abby had mysterious supernatural connections with Agent Todd, my beliefs were probably to be compromised.

"Now that you mention it, the loss isn't so great as to what we might gain," I said thoughtfully.

"That is very true, Jennifer. We are here at your doctor's office. Are you ready for this?" I took in a shaky breath and nodded.

Abby POV

I had yet to tell the truth to McGee. I was procrastinating. Tony said that the Director ordered for us to all go home and get some rest. He and Ziva left at once. Gibbs drove off less than ten minutes later. Now, it was just Palmer, McGee, and me.

"Where is McGee?" He looked around with a mild curiosity.

"Bathroom," I answered, taking a swig of my water bottle. I didn't know Palmer very well, but from what I could tell, he wasn't a very confident figure, and whenever he did speak up he was looked terrified of getting so much as a glare from Gibbs or Ducky, and just fell silent once more as if he had said nothing. I saw a bit of my much younger self in him. Before I could say anything about this, though, McGee walked into the lab. I felt as if my feet had detached from the floor the second he looked at me.

"Shall we go, then?" he offered, taking my arm and leading me away. My heart melted at the sight of his adorable signature smile, so sweet and gentle, just like the way he treated me. I smiled back; a slow growing sappy smile of pure love.

Director POV

"It looks like you took a pretty bad hit…here," the doctor said, pointing at an area on the sonogram. "I have no clue how, but it looks as if your little one will survive," I sighed in relief, feeling all the pain wash away. Ducky squeezed my shoulder in silent support.

"It appears I was wrong," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.

"Have you ever thought of getting a degree in psychology?" I asked as we left the doctor's office later that day.

"No, I haven't, Jennifer, whatever would make you think of that?" His blue eyes pierced through mine, but not with nearly the amount of intensity of Jethro's.

"The loss of Kate," Her name struck a chord in him. There was a significant difference in his expression. It was as if I had torn away some mask he had been hiding behind, and I could see every single hidden emotion left exposed to the open air. There was pain, love and adoration. As I looked more closely, the mask started to return, but I managed to catch a hint of…hope. Abby had given him hope. That girl had abilities that confounded me. Jethro shouldn't like her, given his hardness and harshness around others. But it was because of his loss of Kelly that made his heart melt at the sight of her. Honestly, she was like a daughter to him. He would do anything to protect her and keep her safe. I looked up and realized we were at my apartment.

"Thank you for going with me for this," I said to Ducky.

"It was no trouble," he replied lightly as I got out of his car.

Ziva POV

The hatred slowly grew. How could my father be such a monster and kidnap Abby like that? I was lucky to have found her unharmed, though now she needed a new pair of boots due to an issue with the elevator. Speaking of, I began to wonder about the whereabouts of the Director. She had not returned from going down to Autopsy. I went down there, but only Ducky was there, packing up to leave.

"Hello, Ziva," he said softly. "I'm only going to be here for a few more minutes. Is there something you needed?"

"What happened to Jenny?"

"She went to the doctor to make sure she didn't lose her child…she was very lucky," I noticed a book in his hand, but couldn't see the title.

"What is that?" He glanced down at the book, then over at me.

"I…this is foolish," he chuckled. "It was just something Jennifer suggested. I don't consider actually taking her seriously," I nodded, and just let the matter drop for now.

"Maybe Palmer would want to help," I suggested. "Perhaps seeing you succeed will give him a confidence boost," He said nothing, and set the book aside.

"I will see you later, Ziva," Ducky gathered the remainder of his things and left. I picked up the book. It was titled _Psychology 101: The Basics_. Why did the Director want Ducky to learn about this? I carefully set the book down. There certainly was a lot I had to learn about the people that worked for NCIS.

**A/N: So this puts us a little more than halfway through season 3…the plot will pick up soon, and some of these details will become important later. Some of this was just character development, between Ducky and the Director…etcetera. Have I been getting better at keeping these guys in character? My brand new OC just popped out of nowhere. Shall I keep him, or is he just a nuisance to the plot? Hm. I'll see where he goes, and if he doesn't show up again, oh well. His loss. I just was aware that Abby had a brother, but he wasn't mentioned much further than that, so I decided to have him drop in and be of a little assistance. Anyway, reviews are like Caf-Pow is to Abby, so some of those would be great. Thanks for sticking with me this far. It is about to get much more interesting, and questions of Abby's mysterious incident with literally falling through the floor WILL BE ANSWERED! I promise! That didn't happen for nothing!**


	11. Chapter 11

Abby POV

As McGee drove us to his apartment, I decided that the truth would wait no longer. Yes, it would ruin the moment, but there are more important matters to worry about.

"I'm pregnant," I whispered finally after five solid minutes of mulling this over and tuning out McGee's excited chatter about his plans for the evening. He stopped talking at once and looked at me briefly, coming to a stop in front of his apartment building.

"I'm glad you finally told me," he said. "I was afraid I'd have to force it out of you," I sighed sadly and gazed out the window. It had begun to rain lightly, and the hazy clouds made it impossible to see the sun.

"Are you angry?" I asked after a minute.

"Not angry, just relieved that you weren't planning on keeping this from me forever. And also happy. We're going to be parents!" I smiled, but something didn't feel quite right. My heart was racing much more than it should, and I began panting for air.

"You okay?" McGee asked.

"I need a minute," I gasped, getting out of the car. I ran up into his apartment and found a room where I could be alone. My heart was racing so fast that I couldn't even keep track of my pulse. Then, suddenly, everything got very hot, starting from my head and moving down to my toes. My stomach twisted at the pain of the heat, and I crawled toward the bathroom.

"Abby? Abs, darling, where are you?" He found me bent over the toilet, retching violently. When my stomach was empty, the symptoms suddenly vanished. But I found something very strange about myself in that moment. I tried to grab McGee's hand, but my hand passed right through his. I tried again, with the same result.

_Abby, I think this is part of your ability! _Kate exclaimed in my head. _It has something to do with molecules. You'll be solid in a sec, watch._ Her chatter was very distracting.

"What is happening?" McGee asked, his eyes narrowing as I tried to grab his hand again and again. I tried one last time, concentrating on that act alone, and finally, he was able to pull me up.

"If I knew, I would tell you. But Kate has a theory...I'll tell you later," I dropped to the floor, moaning as the nausea came back with vigor. But bit by bit, I was able to fight back the urge to vomit, and soon my head cleared again.

"Tell me now, if it's so important," McGee begged as I continued gasping and panting, unable to get a hold of myself enough to even respond.

"P-please…j-just go," I wheezed, flushing the toilet. My stomach heaved, but there was nothing left to throw up. He seemed to understand, and finally left me alone. Little by little my heart rate slowed, and I was able to breathe again. The heat faded, and everything was suddenly sharper in focus. I stared at the tiles below me, wondering why they were blurring together while everything else was visible. I squinted at the floor, imagining them coming together as one, sifting and shifting into something new, like glass. To my surprise, that was exactly what happened. Within a few minutes the whole floor turned to glass. I felt my eyes go wide as I began to realize that _I_ had just made that happen. I willed the floor to restore itself to its true form, and it did so almost at once.

"What is happening to me?" I gasped in disbelief. After a minute, I calmed down, and then realized I was a complete mess. I hopped into the shower to wash all the seawater out of my hair. Ten very hot and wet minutes later, I got out, and realized I didn't have a spare change of clothes. I'd have to get back into my half dried ruined outfit, or else go naked. The first option did not sound very appealing. I wondered…did McGee keep any of my old lingerie around? I tiptoed into his bedroom; he was in the kitchen, on the opposite side of the apartment. Sure enough, I found some in the "forbidden" drawer I knew so well. I slipped into the least scanty thing I could find, and jumped a little in surprise when I saw McGee standing there staring at me. Blush flooded my cheeks as he took in my appearance. I stood very still, awaiting judgment.

"I…uh…" he stuttered.

"Am I really that fat?" I joked, looking down at myself critically. The bump that was now my stomach wasn't very large…but who was I to be an expert on pregnancy? My parents never told me very much, and even then not in large detail.

"No…its just…you're gorgeous," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Does it really take my being half naked for you to realize that?" I snickered. McGee moved closer to me, so close that his body touched mine.

"Is that what you think?" he breathed into my ear. His voice made me tremble with delight.

"Why don't you find out?" I whispered, kissing him on the head. He chuckled and pulled me over to his bed.

"I'll try not to hurt the child," he promised, slipping under the covers. Just then, his cell phone rang. I sighed and reached over McGee to answer it.

"Timmy is a little busy at the moment," I slurred, drunk with love.

"Whoa, what happened to you, Abby?" Tony asked, laughing. "I was just calling to tell you that Gibbs needs us at NCIS, pronto. We have a surprise visitor,"

"I'm not exactly…dressed," I confessed. Tony laughed again.

"Oh, is that what you're doing?" he teased. "Want me to bring by a change of clothes?" I sighed, knowing what he intended by that statement.

"Have Ziva do it. I'll be there in ten, given her driving," 

"I'll give her a call, then. Sorry to interrupt," He was still laughing as he hung up.

"Tony?" McGee guessed, getting out of bed to get changed.

"Yeah. We're needed back at work for some visitor or other. Might have to do with a new case," He merely shrugged.

"Are you going to tell me about Kate's little theory or not?" he asked as there was a knock at the door. I went to answer it. Ziva stood there, holding a shirt, torn black jeans, and platform shoes.

"I see your situation was more dire than I anticipated," she said. I laughed and let her into McGee's apartment.

"Tony called you about the visitor, yes?" she asked as I headed back to McGee's bedroom to change into my clothes.

"Yes, and he almost got away with seeing me like this," I called to her.

"I am not surprised by that," she answered. I finished getting the clothes on and came back out to find Ziva reclining on the couch, which I found unusual. She was usually uncomfortable in someone else's apartment.

"Why are you on the couch?" I asked her.

"I am very tired," she said. "Besides, I have been here before," McGee joined us in the small living room, geared up to go. He glanced at me, and I nodded. The three of us left together, Ziva in her own car, and McGee going with me in his vehicle.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Sorry for the shortness of that last chapter. –head slaps self- I have had some serious personal stuff going on, but now things are beginning to work out, so thank you for sticking out this story with me, because it means a whole lot when I get feedback. I scarcely have any other plans, so if writing never works out…it will be like living in a world without air. Writing is my oxygen, and fan fiction is only the beginning for me.**

Director POV

"…and then the whole floor was suddenly glass, and I couldn't believe that I did that," Abby explained to McGee in an excited voice as they walked into the bullpen. I watched them with a sort of mild amusement.

"Wow, so I have glass instead of marble now?" McGee asked, smirking at her.

"No, I changed it back, you silly!" She smacked him playfully, green eyes teasing him with a light dance of cheerfulness. I sensed a presence behind me, and I whirled around to see Gibbs standing there with someone I had never seen before. I knew what Kate looked like only though pictures. This was not Kate, but she looked familiar somehow.

"I'm Rachael, Kate's sister," the woman said, extending her hand. "From what Gibbs tells me, you are quite the woman to be leading NCIS," I shook her hand, and she laughed. Abby snapped her head around, as if she heard something familiar. Her eyes rested on Rachael, and she stopped in her tracks. Ziva came into the bullpen, ignoring Tony, who was folding a paper airplane with a note along the side.

"Is there a reason why you are here?" I asked. "I assume this isn't a social visit,"

"I heard there have been some strange things going on here. Are they true? Is it true that Abigail Sciuto is a psychic and can talk to my sister?" I hesitated, and glanced at Gibbs. Should I be disclosing this information to a stranger? Gibbs nodded ever so slightly. I assumed that meant he was giving me the okay to talk.

"Yes, it is," I responded. "Anything else you wish to know?"

"Tell me about the team. I want to know what I'm getting into when I help out Abby. I too think she should not have died," I smiled at her.

Abby POV

It was almost like staring into a badly reflected mirror. This woman looked like Kate, and she also didn't. McGee shook my arm in an effort to snap me back to reality, but I was too far gone for that. I continued to stare at her, comparing her to Kate almost without meaning to. Kate had dark hair. This stranger was a prominent redhead like the Director. At this distance, it was hard to determine any other similarities. Then I heard my name mentioned, and I couldn't help but get closer.

"This is our forensic specialist, Abigail Sciuto," Jenny was saying as I got closer.

"Hi," the stranger said.

"Hi there, you sure look an awful lot like Kate, were you two related? I mean if you aren't, sorry I offended you, its just that she and I were so close and her death hit this team pretty hard because she was like family to us," The almost endless babble had to come to an end only because I had run out of oxygen. I sucked in a breath and studied her reaction.

"Well, I'm Rachael, and I was Kate's sister," the woman said. Instantly, I saw every single resemblance to Kate in her face.

"Wow…you looked just like her just now," I whispered. I was hyper aware of McGee hovering near my shoulder.

"Kate has told me so much about you. Frankly, when she first mentioned you, I thought she was insane to make friends with someone like you. But then time went on, and she continually kept saying how you always kept her spirits up…how only a hug would make her smile…and I started having second thoughts,"

"Your judgment is harsh, but accurate," I replied confidently. "I am insane, but aren't we all? It is those who say they aren't that truly are off the wall," This seemed to satisfy her, and she looked over at McGee. I smiled at her and skipped over to Ziva, who was currently ducking a paper airplane sailing her way. I neatly caught it and tossed it at the window, which for some reason was open despite the current weather. A slight chill spread into the bullpen, and I shivered in my outfit, so unfit for a draft. At least I wasn't wearing my lingerie. I blushed at the memory of it.

"You told him the truth, yes?" Ziva asked me. It didn't take long for me to figure out what she meant.

"Of course," I replied. "He took it very well,"

"I am very glad that you are about to be a mother, but do you know what to do once the child comes?" On the outside, I expect I remained very calm. But on the inside, panic ensued. _What am I to do once I am a mother?_

"I'll figure it out eventually," I answered vaguely. Which was true enough, and at that point I would have no choice. But all I was doing was putting things off, and when the day of reckoning came…I winced at the thought of being unprepared. Jenny finished speaking to Rachael and went up into MTAC with Gibbs. How long has it been? When she told us, she already had known for a month. Then a month after her I got pregnant but didn't know about it until a month later. So, it has been at least four months since Kate died. Funny how the time passes. As long as you pay no attention to it, the date doesn't matter very much. Rachael approached me as Ziva turned to Tony. McGee had disappeared.

"Your colleagues are very…unusual," she said. "Its amazing how you guys manage to get along," I glanced at Ziva, who was questioning Tony about paper airplanes. He smiled and demonstrated how to fold one and throw one.

"Its not always this calm…" I murmured, watching them.

"Are you planning on getting Kate back from the land of the dead?" Rachael asked.

"I have no idea. But I have to try,"

McGee POV

I walked in on Ducky reading up on Psychology, and Palmer was eagerly asking him questions.

"Well, what happens if the opposite were true?" Palmer questioned.

"Patience, Mr. Palmer," Ducky said, looking up as I came in. "Hello, Timothy. What brings you by here?"

"I came to tell you that Kate's sister has arrived and wishes to get to know all of us," I announced.

"Kate has a sister?" Palmer squeaked in surprise. Or was it pleasure? I focused my gaze on him temporarily, wondering what his intentions were.

"She is upstairs if you want to meet her," I told the assistant uncertainly. He smiled gratefully and ran out of the lab.

"What on earth has gotten into him?" Ducky murmured as he set aside his book.

"Where did you get that?" I asked, pointing at the book.

"I bought this when Jennifer suggested I take on a psychology class. In case I take her advice…I'd like to know what I was getting into first," I said nothing. This was an unusual event, but I decided to not let it distract me from the big picture. Rachael Todd, Kate's sister. She had a purpose for coming here besides wanting to get to know us, and I wanted to find out what it was.

Ziva POV

I hung up my cell phone, shaking all over with terror. Eli had called me, announcing the one thing I hoped I would never hear him say. He was coming to America, and if Abby had not been thwarted, everyone, including myself, would pay deeply for ever having associated with the Mossad. My heart clenched with fear at the sight of Abby, laughing and talking to Rachael. She thought she was safe, when that was beyond the truth. I clenched my teeth in determination and strode out of the bullpen, unnoticed, invisible. Nobody stopped me. Nobody even looked my way. It was better this way. I would say my goodbyes here, because after my father saw me, he would probably kill me. I shifted into my wolf form and took off, leaving NCIS behind me forever. An idea was beginning to form, and if it worked, nobody would have to get hurt. Just me. But that was okay. I was used to pain, the physical and the mental. Live alone, die alone. That was my philosophy. Claws dug furiously into the earth and scraped against concrete. People gasped or screamed at the sight of me. I ignored both sensations and kept moving.

Abby POV

One minute, I was without a care in the world. Everything was perfect. I had a new friend. Then Tony suddenly met my gaze.

"Ziva's gone," he said. "No note, no anything,"

"I think I know where she might go!" I exclaimed. "Stay here!" I ran out of the bullpen. Rachael watched me leave, her eyes filled with curiosity. I ran and ran, following the wolf tracks, and guessing in spots where they had ended. Finally, long after sunset, I discovered a black misshapen figure running along, headed for the airport.

"Ziv, wait!" I shouted. The strange figure halted, and now it was clear that it was definitely of lupine nature. A wolf.

"Come on, why did you have to run?" The large wolf blurred and within a minute Ziva stood there in its place.

"I have to talk to my father before he destroys everyone I love," Ziva said.

"Well, okay…you can't just run off like that. You had Tony and I worried sick. Look, I'll come up with a plan that will suit everyone. Just give me a little time, I promise you and I will both get the revenge we are looking for,"

"I see," Ziva murmured. "I am-"

"Don't apologize," I chided, giving her a light head slap. "Remember what Gibbs taught you," She looked up at me and noticed I was smiling. She hesitantly smiled back.

"I think you are light enough to fit on my back. Do you want to ride me? I can run fast,"

"As fast as the wind?"

"I do not understand that phrase," Ziva muttered. "The wind is not all that fast," I laughed as she changed back into a wolf. It didn't take long at all to get back, but by that time Rachael was gone, and I heard my stomach growl as I went into my lab. I ordered several pizzas, including everyone's tastes, even Gibbs' strange appetite. By the time I had hung up the phone, word had traveled around that pizza was coming. Even Ducky somehow knew.

General POV

The pizza eventually came, and the next thirty minutes were spent in complete silence as everyone dug into the meal so graciously paid for by Abby. Rachael was a big part of the day's conversation. The woman was a mystery like no other. It was agreed that she be given the whole truth on her next visit, though no one had said another word on the subject after Tony made a very Tony-like comment about when she bent over to pick up a fallen stapler just before her departure.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Sorry this has taken me so long. I've had a hard time continuing this…and I have also been grounded again. So, meanwhile, my only other story gathering dust will be completed soon, and then I shall start a new one along with this one. Oh, and I caught sight of that commercial with Pauley Perrete, and that made me smile. Just thought I'd point that out…anyway, on with lucky chapter 13.**

Eli walked swiftly, glancing at each engraved name on the tombstones. But none of these names were important. Only one…where was she? Her? The one? Then all the sudden he stumbled across her grave. The great Agent Todd, rotting in the ground beneath his feet right now. He knew he had to set a trap to get Abby here. But how, oh how? Eli closed his eyes, creating an illusion to outsiders that he was at peace. In reality, a million thoughts swarmed in his head like hornets. Were this plan to work, he'd have Abby forever and NCIS on its knees, begging for mercy…even Gibbs. First things first, he'd have to "make things right" with a certain relative of his. The phone was against his ear. Two rings later, she answered.

"Father, I thought you did not wish to speak to me anymore," Ziva said in confusion.

"Do not worry about that. All is forgiven, dear daughter," he responded smoothly. "I just wanted to see how things were going in America for you," It was better that she didn't know he never left. Some things were better left unsaid.

"All is fine here, Father. Kate has a sister. We met her a few days ago when she came here to meet us," He perked up at this new information. A sister? That wasn't part of his plan.

"Really?" he said, feigning disinterest. "Are you really wasting your time obsessing over the dead agent's relatives when you have other things to be doing?"

"I am sorry. She truly wishes Kate did not die. Do you regret sending Ari on his mission?"

"I regret nothing, as you know," Eli spat into the receiver.

"I must be going. Gibbs says there is a new case and I need to investigate the crime scene. Addio per ora," It didn't take long between the brief silence and the moment Ziva hung up for him to mentally translate her Italian farewell.

"Addio per ora," he murmured to himself, looking up at the sky. For several days the clouds had taken over the skies, but now the sun threatened to break through and brighten up the streets of D.C. once more. He had to leave, and soon, in order for his plan to be set into action.

Abby POV

I walked past Ziva's desk as she hung up the phone, feeling in very high spirits at the moment. McGee and I had finally gotten the chance to go out last night for the first time in a long while, and it was very refreshing to see his feelings for me still remained as strong as ever, if not stronger. But this was not what had me so pleased. Earlier that same day, he and I went to the doctor to get a sonogram. The news I got was so shocking that it was difficult to hold it in until now.

"Guess what," I sang out, looking over at Ziva.

"What is it?" Ziva asked in a slightly impatient tone as she started packing up to leave. Tony had already left, but the phone call had slowed her down.

"Well, if you really don't want to know…" I mumbled sourly, crossing my arms.

"Of course I do, but do you not want-" She was cut off as there was a loud clang in the stairwell.

"I have to go," Ziva said abruptly. She strode quickly out of the bullpen, her stilettos nearly getting caught in the tiny snares of the carpet. I sighed, wondering if I'd ever get the news out there. Then my cell phone rang. It was Daniel. I answered it at once.

"Abby here," I said cheerfully.

"Hey, Abby, how do you get to the place you work? I kind of got lost after that pet store, you know, the one with all those really large parrot that tend to get a little excited when the manager starts speaking in Spanish?"

"Yeah, you are lost," I laughed loudly into the receiver. "Turn around and take the nearest highway, then stop at the first building you see. That should be the one…be careful around security. They don't like strangers, given things that had happened in the past. I'll go ahead and alert them of your arrival. See you soon, Danny dearest," Now, all I had to do was wait. Might as well catch up on my reading while I did that. Now, where did Tim keep his manuscripts? Suddenly, I sensed another presence with me in the bullpen. I looked over at the elevator and saw McGee standing there, watching me in confusion.

"Tim?" I queried, trying to read his face. "Something wrong?" 

"Abs, what are you doing?" he asked, deflecting the question.

"Looking for your manuscripts," I said, growing suspicious. "What about you? Aren't you supposed to be with Gibbs?"

"No…he said for me to stay here," I stared harder at him. Something was off about him. Then suddenly I had it. His eyes were no longer green, but blue.

"What happened to your eyes?" That was when I should have run. His eyes were wrong. His behavior and mannerisms were wrong. We had an impostor on our hands. McGee morphed into Eli. I stiffened. He could shape shift? Hm. How could I use that against him? My thoughts were interrupted when he started talking.

"Abby, how lovely to run into you again," he said in a falsely friendly tone. I calmly started counting backwards in my head. Precisely sixty seconds, to keep tabs on time. I had a feeling a minute was all I needed to turn the tables on this trap. Fifty-nine, fifty-eight…I stared him down, not reacting.

"I came to discuss a few things with you. First of all, your friend Ziva is in evident danger from the Mossad, since they see her as an enemy. She is my daughter, and I cannot allow her to get hurt. Why don't you see if you can rescue her? She is outside now," I was smarter than that. How would I outsmart him? Forty, thirty-nine, thirty-eight, thirty-seven…time was of the essence. I hoped that Daniel had as good of a gut as Gibbs, because this was a dire situation. I thought quickly.

"Why don't you come with me?" I asked. "I mean, the Mossad is not familiar with me…and I could use a powerful man like you for these experiments. I have the means to make them even more successful than they are now," He nodded in agreement and began to lead me outside. Twenty-two, twenty one…the elevator began to go down. At twelve seconds to spare, I had him right where I wanted him.

"So, you can shape shift? Let me see you turn into a slug. I think they're cool," I grinned mischievously. According to statistics, the slug was the least liked animal in its family. Thanks to superstitious McGee, I had a dispenser of good old sodium chloride in my pocket. He transformed at once, and I proceeded to dump all the salt I had on Eli, just as Daniel came past the security gates and ran up to me. He didn't question the shriveling slug or the salt all over the ground.

"Hi, Abby!" he said excitedly. "When do I get to meet everyone?"

"Soon," I promised. "Why don't you wait with me in my lab?" He grinned.

"I've only been thinking about it since I left," he said.

"Good! Right this way, then," I walked quickly back into the building, my platform shoes clomping along at an even pace of two steps per second. Daniel, though he was in good shape and wore better shoes for the running job, had to jog to keep up with me.

"Where is everyone?" he asked when he noticed I was the only one here other than Director Jenny, who nodded vaguely in my direction as I headed for my lab.

"Away at a crime scene," I explained. "My job is pretty fun, you'll see in a minute what it is I do," He gasped in awe at all the machines in my lab.

"How are they funding this?" he exclaimed. I merely shrugged, starting up Major Mass Spec and the AFIF so I'd be good to go for the team's arrival with evidence.

"What's that?" Daniel pointed at Bert the hippo, sitting near the keyboard. I typed in my "long, complicated password" and handed Bert to him.

"Try squeezing him," I suggested. "It's pretty fun," He did so, and was shocked by the resulting sound.

"What kind of hippo is this?"

"Alright, this isn't twenty questions," I chided. "Allow me to have a little time to think," He sighed and fell silent. After a few minutes, the door that lead to my lab opened slowly, revealing Ducky with piles of evidence to be processed. I smiled.

"Time to get to work," I said.

"That could take a while…" Daniel mumbled to himself, uncertain.

"I'm fast,"

"Hello, Abigail, who is this?" Ducky said, interrupting the conversation.

"I'm Daniel, Abby's brother," Daniel said. "And you are?"

"Doctor Donald Mallard, but you can just call me Ducky," He held out his hand.

"Hey, trying to work here!" I shouted, sorting out the evidence on the long table. Daniel hovered over me.

"Show me how to do your job," he said. My smile grew wider.

"Well, first you are going to need a Caf-Pow. Gibbs should be here any second…and the second, you'll need to pay close attention…"


	14. Chapter 14

Abby POV

"Wow, you guys sure live exciting lives!" Daniel exclaimed. I had just told him everything that had happened over the past four months or so. I wasn't sure. Keeping track of time was getting difficult now.

"Yeah, do you mind coming back later? I sense that Gibbs will be in here any second now, and if he sees you in here, he might intimidate you to death," Daniel laughed.

"Alright, I'll call you, then," he promised. I smiled and waved at him until he was out of the lab.

_Just thought I'd check in…_Kate said suddenly._ You really pissed Eli off. He'll be back pretty soon for revenge. Now he has a real reason to kick your ass._

"He won't succeed," I vowed to the empty air. "Just you wait, Kate. I'll figure a way out," With that, I began to perfect my very mysterious telekinetic type powers for the remainder of the day. By the time Gibbs came in to tell me to go home, I had the ultimate surprise worked up for him. Gibbs watched as I managed to move a beaker all the way across the room before my mental strength gave out and it smashed all over the floor. After I cleaned up the mess, I explained to him what I had discovered.

"Why does none of this surprise me?" Gibbs asked finally when he could speak.

"Because you know _me_, that's why," I teased, pecking him on the cheek. "I'll head on home, Gibbs. You already have my report, so, I'll just see you in the morning, then,"

"Half an hour early?" Gibbs guessed.

"Maybe a whole hour if you're lucky, and we all know you're the only one allowed to get lucky," I winked at him and left my lab, everything shut down for the night. I walked on past the car lot, planning to visit Kate's grave before heading home. Maybe she could provide me with some last minute answers as to how I can defeat Eli for good. Harming him would only slow the guy down. As I approached the nearby cemetery, I sensed someone following me. I ignored the feeling and kept walking. Perhaps it was a stray at or squirrel acting very curious.

But something told me that wasn't the case. I stopped for a moment and closed my eyes, remembering an exercise Gibbs had taught me in the early days of NCIS, long before Kate's name ever crossed any of our lips or her face even imagined in any of our heads. Gibbs said that if a sense, such as sight, was not able to be used to see an intruder, that sense is a complete distraction and it should be shut out to let the other senses in. Instantly, it began to work. I heard light breathing behind me, about four feet back. I recognized the scent of coffee mixed with gunpowder. This told me nothing, as it could apply to anyone on the team or an enemy that happened to have just walked out of Starbucks. Keeping my eyes shut, I started to walk forward again. Instantly, the footsteps followed. They were mostly quiet, but echoed just slightly off the road due to the intense silence in the area. I caught another scent as the footsteps got closer: the distinct mustiness of my lab, combined with hazelnut from the coffee. Strong and black. I only knew two people(living, anyway) that drank coffee like that.

"Abby, its me," Ziva said. Despite the relief, my heart still gave a jolt of shock at this fresh piece of news. My eyes flew open and I saw the cemetery up ahead. I let out the breath I had been holding and turned to face her.

"Don't scare me like that again," I told her. "I thought I was about to be attacked or something,"

"Force of habit," Ziva said. "What are you doing out here so late? Gibbs is worried. He thinks you got abducted and ordered me to go find you. Is there something wrong?"

"No, of course not!" I exclaimed. "I was just headed over to Kate's grave real quick before going home later,"

"Ah. I see. May I join you?"

"I wouldn't mind in the least," I replied.

Ziva POV

I did not understand Abby's motives sometimes, but I knew her well enough that there was a method to her madness. So, I tried my best to listen without judgment as she explained her reason for visiting Kate's grave on such a whim.

"So, there has to be another way to defeat your father other than turning him into a slimy slug, right?" Abby was saying now.

"I suppose," I responded vaguely as we entered the cemetery. "He is very persistent when it comes to subduing his resistant experiments," I slapped my hand over my mouth when Abby looked at me.

"What?" Her eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"

"I didn't stutter," I replied weakly.

"Explain," Abby growled. She was shaking with anger now.

"You were one of his experiments, a long while ago," I said. "But Eli erased your memory, so obviously you have no recollection of that time. You were told that you were away from Caf-Pow too long and had passed out. The fainting part was true, but-"

"What did he do to me?" Abby demanded.

"He-He made you psychic, and gave you those powers…I told him to stop, but he was too obsessed and consumed with power and greed that my efforts were futile,"

"Why?"

"It was part of his plan. Whatever you do, don't go here anymore. He has something planned…I can't even tell you, that's how horrible it is,"

"Tell me, I think I can take it," Abby said bravely.

"If you come here to save Kate, you'll succeed alright, but at the cost of your freedom. You'll disappear, like so many other 'failures' of his. You will disappear so completely nobody will be able to find you alive again. I cannot let that happen! You're like a sister to me, Abby. Don't make any rash decisions,"

"Something tells me you already have a plan," Abby said.

"Of course I do," I replied.

"Do enlighten me with the details," She grinned at me.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I promised I would update this, didn't I? As of yet I haven't broken a promise to you guys…isn't that a feat to have accomplished? As well as fifteen chapters…although five reviews isn't exactly something to boast about. But we are nearing the climax so bear with me. And if this is too sort, I am soo sorry but I only have so much time on my hands.**

In the following weeks, we planned the attack against Eli very carefully, being as obvious as possible, so that he'd fall for the bait. All part of the underlying, true plan that I had devised on Ziva's request. McGee and Tony eagerly joined in, and one day, almost two months into our planning process, Director Jenny got a hold of the next day's weather report that surprised us all.

"There's supposed to be snow tomorrow, Abby," Jenny announced. "How do you expect to go around in nothing but a dress like you are wearing on the day Eli is to come, which is also tomorrow?" I rolled my eyes.

"It'll work out, trust me," I said. "This is all under control," Lately I have not heard much from Kate but decided not to worry about her until the next day.

"My father says our plan will not succeed," Ziva said, hanging up the phone. "So, all is going well. He took the bait," I smiled.

"Alright the, commence part two of the plan, Timmy," I said. He ran for the stairs, Tony right on his heels and keeping up with no trouble at all. I heard them arguing about who would set up the video chat the whole way down to my lab.

"Bait?" Jenny murmured to Gibbs during all of this, who merely shrugged and continued with his paperwork as if this were all an ordinary occurrence. Had he known any better, the silver haired man would be paying much closer attention to me. I was about to 'betray' NCIS, and he didn't suspect a thing. Though I knew the eventual outcome, I couldn't help but feel a little surprised that he didn't see this coming.

"You okay?" Ziva asked after a time. I nodded, staring out the window and watching snow clouds gather outside. Perhaps the weather forecast would come true a little early this afternoon. The temperature continued to drop, according to the brand new combined barometer and thermometer on McGee's desk, thirty four, thirty three…then, suddenly, it hit thirty degrees. The first flakes of snow began to fall in the very same moment. My gaze shifted to Ziva, who was currently testing the speed of her shifting in the middle of the bullpen while the Director watched her with interest. Other than this, it was very quiet. I felt a jolt from somewhere inside me that shocked me so much that I nearly fell to the floor in a faint.

_**I HAVE BROUGHT KATE BACK TO LIFE ON MY OWN**_, a voice thundered in my head. I winced. It was causing me an intense headache.

"Abby?" Ziva said, having changed back to human again. She flitted to my side, filled with concern. I ignored her, listening to the deafening voice in my head.

_**COME TO THE CEMETARY WHERE HER GRAVE LIES GATHERING DUST. COME ALONE AND NOBODY GETS HURT. GIVE YOURSELF UP TO I, ALISTAIR, THE DARK SPIRIT THAT PROVIDES ELI HIS POWERS, AND EVERYONE IN NCIS CAN LIVE HAPPILY. ALL I WANT IS YOUR ABILITIES AND YOUR SOUL AND YOU CAN LIVE AS MY SLAVE, UNDEAD, FOR A THOUSAND YEARS. HOWEVER IF YOU DO NOT LISTEN TO MY REQUEST, I WILL KILL EVERYONE.**_

"Abby what's wrong?" Jenny asked, joining Ziva.

"I just have a terrible headache," I muttered. "I'll be right back," I met Ziva's eyes with a sort of significance that she instantly understood enough not to follow me as I left the bullpen. This was the betrayal I had to commit. I had to completely surrender in order for everyone else to survive. But it was all according to my complex plan, and there was even a part that not even Ziva was aware of. I smiled at my complete secrecy of it. If all went well, it would be a very good reward for everybody. I hoped that, in defeating Eli, I'd be able to spread out his abilities to everyone in NCIS so that he would be rendered unable to harm anyone through his supernatural talents. Except Gibbs…he was already super powerful enough without things like this. One foot in front of the other. I was almost to the cemetery already. My heart was hammering in my chest, but I refused to show any fear. Finally, I could make out a shapeless shadow hovering over Kate's lifeless form just pas the entrance.

"_You're late,"_ the shadow hissed. I thought I could make out a pair of eyes glaring at me out of the shapeless mass twisting and twitching in the air.

"Sorry," don't have a watch," I replied in a smart aleck tone. The shadow growled. Eli appeared behind him, looking none too happy.

"What's wrong?" I taunted Ziva's father. "Your boss too intimidating for you?" Eli said nothing, ignoring Alistair.

"Just give us your abilities already," Eli said. I hesitated.

"Hmm, I don't think so. First, I could easily kill you both without leaving a trace, so think twice about talking to me like that. Secondly, what is it about my powers you need so much?" Kate moaned at my feet. She was slowly coming to life. Just a little longer…I had to keep them busy.

"You weren't supposed to end up with them," Eli told me impatiently. "Somehow, when Kate was a spirit, she gave you all of Alistair's potential before he could complete his training to be able to return to his home galaxy Aredardon. Unfortunately, by mistake, she took his ability to jump between galaxies, so until you give that back, he is stuck here until the UFO invasion in 2012," Alistair remained silent during this time. Probably coming up with a way to kill me after all of this was over. Kate mumbled something that I didn't hear, stirring a little bit now. Her eyelids fluttered, but she did not wake.

"What if I say no?" I asked. "I mean, all he has to do is wait,"

"You also have his ability to destroy entire worlds, which is very important, considering what the Mayans have predicted," My eyes widened, and suddenly I knew their entire plan. Kate jolted awake, and instantly I sprang into action. I pulled her up and spun on the spot, disappearing at once. When I opened my eyes, I was standing outside of NCIS, exactly where I wanted to end up.

"How did you do that?" Kate mumbled, still groggy and very tired. Normally I'd be very excited that Kate was finally back with the living, but I had other matters on my mind.

"Never you mind that," I said quickly. "Here, tell me how to transfer powers to other people, and quickly! They're going to follow us, and this is part of the plan," She stared at me as if I had just spoken another language.

"Alright," she murmured. "Calm down, Abby. Here's what you have to do,"


	16. Chapter 16

Kate did not stop talking the whole way back to NCIS. The plan having been discussed, we decided to wait a few days before taking action again. She was bouncing with excitement, though she was still very weak and occasionally had to be supported by me. But we made it back without incident.

"Kate!" Tony cried out joyfully. "You're back!" Ziva stared in shock, probably thrown off balance by the fact she was proved wrong. Kate smiled at him.

"Come on, let's go…I have something I need to tell you," Ziva watched them leave. McGee walked up to me, his face very hard to read.

**ENOUGH OF THIS**

Something smoky flew into me. I stiffened. A burning sensation filled every inch of my body, and I staggered back in shock.

"Abby? What happened?" McGee asked. I tried to respond, but all that came out was a squeak of pain. It was like fire in my bones and nerve endings.

**YOUR TWINS ARE MINE**

"No…don't take them," I whispered breathlessly, trying to ignore the crippling pain all over me. McGee tried to support my weight, but I just fell to the floor, gasping on my hands in knees like I had been holding my breath for too long underwater. Ziva came over, looking very worried. All I could notice was the pain. Something separated from me, and I heard a muffled ripping sound. I bit back a scream of pain with difficulty, so all that came out was a low moan of misery.

"There's blood…" McGee said with a baffled expression on his face. "Why is she bleeding? I didn't even touch her," I could sense that I had lost something very important to me, but what? The pain was all concentrated in one spot now, and the smoky figure left my body, leaving nothing but a sense of emptiness behind.

"That thing took her child," Ziva said in a disgusted tone. My eyes widened. My baby…or babies…Alistair said I had twins. How did he know? 

"No, twins," I croaked, clutching at where all the blood was seeping from. I felt a large gash where they had been removed.

"Twins?" McGee repeated. I coughed and nodded, unable to say anymore.

"Let's get her to Ducky before she bleeds out all over the floor," Ziva suggested. I tried to feel my loss, but the tears would not come. I was too drained from pain and blood loss. McGee let me lean on him, and the whole time he attempted to stem the blood flow with his already sweaty hand. As we came into autopsy, Ducky looked up in shock to see blood dripping onto the clean white tiles.

"Get Abigail on the table, now," Ducky said anxiously. "I'll sew up the wound. Mr. Palmer, my sewing kit, if you would-" In seconds, Palmer handed him a small black bag. Ducky pulled up my shirt and carefully examined the wound on my stomach.

"This looks fairly serious," he murmured, getting out the antiseptic. I let my thoughts wander as Ducky operated on me. What would happen now, since my children were gone before they even got to be born? Would I ever see them again? Alive, at the very least? Was that too much to ask? My thoughts were cut off by a gasp of shock by the entrance. Ziva was looking over in the dark hallway just beyond the open door. Something over there moved. Then Eli stepped into the light. Ducky finished up with the gash on my stomach and cleared me to leave. I quickly left in search of Kate to tell her that Eli had arrived, quite unexpectedly at that. I found her talking to Tony out in cybercrimes.

"Kate, we have a problem," I said. At that moment, I realized all the pain was gone, but that hardly mattered anymore.

"Your shirt is bloody," Tony commented. "What happened?" I shook my head, signaling that it was a bad time for such questions.

"Not now, Tony…come on, Kate. I want to see what Eli wants with Ziva,"

"Ziva?" Kate questioned. Her eyes were blank for several moments as she processed this. "She's my replacement, isn't she?"

"Thought you were 'with me' that day," I grumbled in reply, starting to leave cybercrimes with her. She only shrugged.

"I drifted in and out, but wasn't there all the time," I sighed and just kept walking. Maybe…if I could somehow go through this wall and turn myself invisible, I could eavesdrop on them. We were outside of autopsy now, having taken the elevator just moments before. I took a deep breath and concentrated on making the molecules of the wall far apart enough for me to go through. Visibly, nothing happened, but I could sense that it was a success when I was able to walk through it.

"Make me invisible," I whispered through the wall, hoping that Kate could hear me. A moment later, a chilly sensation trickled down my spine, like someone was pouring ice down my shirt, a nice change from the fiery feeling that had tortured me not long before. Already that felt like an eternity before. I shook my head and forced myself to focus on Eli, who was currently talking to Ziva.

"Daughter, I was foolish," Eli was saying. "Forgive me, for it was Alistair who blinded me with incredible power. All of that is gone now. I have nothing left but you," Ziva didn't respond. Ducky and Palmer were nowhere to be seen, but I sensed they were somewhere nearby listening to the conversation as well.

"Honestly, do you think I'd just let you back in with open arms?" Ziva asked. Her voice was accented with pain and something else I couldn't identify. "I am not the fool you forced yourself to believe I am, Father. Now, go. Find something else to do with your life besides hurt others." He narrowed his eyes.

"I shall not change my habits or my methods, especially after what you said," he said coldly. With a spin of his heel, he left the room as dramatically as he had left it. A hot sensation crept down my back, and I quickly left the room a different way.

"Abby?" Ziva called. I froze in the doorway. "What are you doing here?" I sighed and went back into the room. Kate came in just then, a curious expression on her face.

"Did I do it right?" she asked eagerly. "I've never done that when I couldn't see my target, so I wasn't sure if I made your nose visible all the way or not, and then I was worried that I had missed and gotten Eli instead, but you know it wouldn't affect him really-"

"Kate, please, one chatterbox is enough in this place," I said heavily. She stopped talking at once and looked at Ziva.

"You're my replacement," she said. It wasn't a question. She didn't look so cheerful anymore. I had a bad feeling about this.

"Well, sort of, but technically-"

"Answer the question," The look on her face was eerie.

"Yes, I am…but this wasn't my fault," Ziva protested. I gave Kate a confused look. What did she have planned?

"I can see that. But you did not have to sit at my desk without permission. All you had to do was ask," Then she smiled. Ziva sighed in relief.

"Come on, Tony's probably waiting on us," I said, just as I felt the antiseptic beginning to wear off. I looked down at the floor so nobody would see me grimace in pain.

"No, I'm here," Tony called. "Found probie…he was chasing down Eli like a mad man. Poor guy shouldn't mess with a guy like McGee. So, Eli's in the hospital, practically a cripple from half his bones smashed from being pummeled to death and probie…is here," McGee limped into the room and grinned at all of us despite the pain in his leg. Suddenly, my injury seemed like a scratch compared to his bloody leg.

"Don't worry, the bullet only grazed me," he said to Tony. "I called Ducky, and he's coming by to patch me up," As if on cue, Ducky walked in. He seemed entirely unsurprised at the sight of Kate standing there with me and Ziva.

"You agents sure rely on me far too much," Ducky remarked. McGee rolled his eyes and gingerly sat in the closest chair.

"We also have Palmer," he pointed out.

"I'm getting bored," Kate declared. "Shall we go do something?" I nodded in agreement. The three of us left autopsy together.

"Meet me at my place," Kate called, running ahead of us. Ziva and I exchanged a glance. Finally, I shrugged and followed her.

"What are you waiting for?" I shouted, but then the pain came back with a vengeance, and I fell to the floor. Ziva caught up to me easily.

"What's wrong?" she asked. All I could do was whimper in pain. She tried to pull me up, but I had no wish to move at all and just curled up into an even tighter ball.

"It's your injury, isn't it?" I just barely managed a nod.

"Painkillers…" I managed to say, but it came out sounding strange and garbled. I tired again, and still couldn't get the syllables out right. Then I realized the problem was that I couldn't breathe. I sucked in air, again and again.

"Get. Me. Painkillers." I ground out between hisses and moans of pain. Ziva started to yank me back toward autopsy. Somehow she had gotten me to my feet. I felt underneath my shirt and realized, with indescribable horror that the stitches had dissolved. Blood flowed between my fingers and started dripping onto the floor. The pain had become one continuous throb-no, an impossible ache that distracted me from everything else. As Ziva pulled me inside, I focused on what I wanted to say.

"No. Ducky can't help." I said, but it came out as a low growl that was barely audible. Ziva understood me, and came to a sudden help.

"Why?" she asked in confusion. "I thought he could do anything."

"Not…with this. Stitches dissolved. Magical injury." Ducky looked up at us from wrapping up McGee's leg with a gauze.

"What do you want me to do then?" Ziva sounded afraid now.

"Go find Kate," I whispered, my voice strained with pain. "She might know what to do," That was the last thing I remembered before collapsing to the floor and everything going black.


	17. Chapter 17

Ziva POV

I ran and ran, and finally after what felt like ages, I managed to find Kate halfway down the car lot almost to her car. I morphed back to human and went to meet her.

"What's wrong?" she asked, taking in my frantic expression.

"It's Abby. Something's wrong,"

McGee POV

"Abigail, what happened?" Ducky said as he finished up with my leg. All I could make out was a moan of pain. Abby was really suffering. There was blood starting to stain her shirt. I sat up much quicker than I meant to, and the room started to spin slightly. I lay back down again and watched Abby, feeling helpless to her pain but still wanting to find a way to help her.

"Stitches…dissolved…" Abby whispered. Her voice gave out, and she lost consciousness once more.

"Dissolved?" I repeated in confusion. "But, wouldn't that mean-"

"This is no ordinary wound we are dealing with, Timothy," Ducky said darkly. "I believe we need someone else with this kind of expertise in order to save Abby," I struggled to sit up again, but Ducky held me back.

"You need to rest and keep any weight off that leg for now," he instructed, suddenly switching to the role of the doctor once more. I sighed, but ha to agree with him. Ziva ran back to where Abby lay on the floor, Kate right on her heels.

"I think I know how to heal her but you're going to stand back," Kate said. She dropped to her knees, pulled back Abby's shirt, and pressed her hands over the wound. At first, nothing happened. But then, I could see the gash beginning to close up, quite rapidly. Within moment it was nothing more than a scar.

"There…that should do it," Abby stirred a little, but did not wake.

"Could you fix my leg too?" I called. "I'd like to be able to get around on two feet sooner than a week from now." Kate looked over at me and smiled.

"Of course I can, McGee. I'd be happy to,"

Tony POV

"Hey, did you see this?" Jenny asked me, pointing at the security camera video feed.

"No…what's up?" I peered at the screen.

"Take a look," She pressed a random key on the keyboard. I watched as Abby and Ziva walked out of autopsy. They talked for a while, then suddenly Abby was on the floor. Blood began to stain her shirt. The look of horror on her face was something I'd never forget. Ziva started pulling her back toward autopsy. Then Abby said something, and collapsed into a faint. Ziva stared at Abby for a long moment and ran off.

"Well, that's curious," I said. "Do you have the audio?" Jenny nodded and started typing.

"But first, I'll need to show you what happened before that, with the audio, then what you just saw will make more sense,"

Abby POV

Dark. It was very dark here. Oh yeah. My eyes were closed. I forced them open and found myself right outside autopsy. McGee, Kate, and Ziva were standing over me.

"Hello? Claustrophobia here," I said. They backed up a little. I got to my feet and grinned at everyone.

"So? We got a plan for kicking some supernatural butt or what?"

"I think we should learn some more about Alistair first," Kate said. "I just have a feeling that we won't be able to get your twins back unless we have some information on him."

"Sounds good. Tim, why don't you go with Ziva and work some computer magic? I'll meet you in my lab," Kate and I walked out to the elevators.

"I still can't believe I'm actually back in my own body again. It seems like forever since I've walked around in this building and talked to all you guys…how long was I dead? Well, that sentence sounds weird." I laughed a little and stepped into the closest elevator.

"Several months, I think. It has been quite a while, but not that long,"

"Wow, really? It feels like years and years since then," Surprisingly, I didn't really have anything to say to that. We walked out to the bullpen. Kate happily sat at her desk.

"Um…not a good idea," I mumbled.

"Why? It's my desk isn't it?"

"Well, actually, it is Ziva's now," I caught a brief flicker of sadness on her face. Then it was gone.

"Well, I'll just…sit over here, then," she murmured. I felt so guilty, though I knew this was not my fault. She felt like a third wheel now.

"Come on Kate, don't be like that," I said.

"Seriously, its fine," she replied softly. "I just need a minute," How I wished I believed her.

"You feel like a third wheel now that you're back, don't you?" I guessed. Kate said nothing.

"Don't worry, things will be just like before, only Ziva will be your new friend. She doesn't mind. She's just not as…revealing with her emotions as most everyone here. But you'll get used to it." Kate was quiet for so long I was afraid she had stopped listening to me.

"Thanks Abby, I really needed that," She gave me a small smile and turned on her computer.

"Glad to be of help," I flashed her my signature grin and skipped off to my lab, hoping that Timmy had found something helpful. When I got in there, I found McGee and Ziva staring intently at the computer screen off in the other room.

"Alright, it says here that Alistair is one of the Original Spirits from olden times, meaning the Middle Ages. He used to be an aristocrat from Spain that got rejected by Queen Isabel for the New World exploration. A few years later, he got his revenge by beginning to start wars all over Europe nobody could do anything about at the time. Eventually he got killed in the line of battle, but his will for revenge was so strong that his soul transformed into something totally unrecognizable. Nobody has heard anything of him since." I listened to McGee with interest. Ziva started typing away at the keyboard.

"Well, we need to find something recent, don't we?" she said.

"I think that's good," I told her. "This information is useful. Just thing of how we could use this against him."

"But this article doesn't tell us what Alistair is really like," McGee argued.

"We know what he's like," Jenny interrupted. I turned to see the Director and Tony had entered the computer room. "After examining what happened to you earlier today, it is clear that he is willing to hurt anyone to get what he wants,"

"Well we figured that out on our own," I said, thinking of the injury.

"But there's more," Tony added. "Since he is made of nothing but smoke, this doesn't make him nearly as powerful as he should be. So, considering what probie here just read aloud to everyone, and the fact he is weaker than any human being I've seen, he's probably hidden somewhere that he could regain his strength."

"Which would be…?" Ziva murmured. "Where?"

"A remote island?" I suggested.

"I'm thinking somewhere that he could blend in and won't easily be spotted," Jenny said. I gazed with wonder into her emerald eyes. There was only one place that came to mind.

"Manhattan Island," I whispered. Everyone looked at me. My cheeks flushed. That felt more than a little uncomfortable.

"Are you sure?" Tony asked. "These are your children we're talking about," I nodded, imagining places on Manhattan Island that Alistair would be likely to go.

"We can't send too many people, it would look suspicious," Jenny said. "Gibbs, of course, will join you. He has been busy preparing for my due date today…not a task he was up to but I insisted it was now or the day of birth, and that seemed to convince him. Abby, you may go, and Kate and Ziva can join you. McGee, Tony, you two need to remain here to hold down the fort. I would come, but I think it would be best for me to stay. Any questions?" Nobody spoke. "Good. Then, off to your respected areas of duty. I will inform Gibbs of the mission,"

**A/N: Oh my God! This took me all day to write…it was very hard to keep it going and end at a non-lame spot. Anyway, I'm glad everyone has stuck with me this far. I have yet to start something in a new category, but have several ideas running, so stay tuned. Read and review, yadda yadda yadda I'm not going to be a broken record(or as Ziva would say, broken tape). And, obviously I don't NCIS. But if I did I wouldn't be here. Or would I? XD You'll never know! Mwahahahahahaha! -tosses head back manically-**


	18. Chapter 18

"Ahh, New York at last," Kate sighed, stepping out of the taxi first. I followed her into the hotel to check in.

"I'm coming," Jenny panted, stumbling onto the sidewalk. Ziva held her steady so she wouldn't fall over. I continued walking, heavy suitcase in hand. Checking in was no trouble, and once we were all unpacked and settled down for the afternoon, it was time to come up with some kind of plan for tomorrow.

"Wait a second, how did you know Alistair is even on Manhattan Island?" Ziva asked. I shrugged, flopping onto the bed.

"Does it matter? We're here now," Kate said. "And I'm sure Abby knows what she's doing." Ziva sighed and sat down on the other bed, apparently deciding to let it go for now. I took out my iPhone and selected "Fallen" by Sarah McLachlan. Gentle lyrics started to play, but I scarcely listened. Tim probably downloaded that song one day when I left my phone unattended.

"Well, where do you think he would hide?" Ziva questioned, having noticed none of this.

"I'm thinking he's the dramatic kind," Jenny said, brushing back her red hair out of her eyes. "So, possibly Broadway,"

"Some sort of smoke figure would be very noticeable in a theater, though," Kate argued. The song continued playing. Nobody paid attention.

"Not if he knew how to hide," I said absently, scrolling through my phone for a new song. Was this even my phone? There sure was a lot of country stuff here…Tony probably messed with it. I selected a random Metallica song and set the phone aside at last.

"So, which of us will go, then? We can't just all wander around, it'll look strange," Kate said. There was a brief silence, during which Ziva sat on the floor and started texting someone and Jenny reclined on the bed behind Kate.

_What I've felt, what I've known_

_Never shined through in what I've shown_

_Never be, never see_

_Won't see what might have been_

"What song is that?" Jenny asked curiously, changing the subject without warning.

"The Unforgiven," I responded. "I chose that one on accident. If you want me to change it…"

"No! No, I like this song," she said quickly. I grinned at her.

"Does the TV work?" Kate wondered. Ziva grabbed the remote and turned the TV on to the news.

"This might be useful," the Director said thoughtfully. "What's the headline say? I can't see from here,"

"Breaking news," the anchorman boomed. I was startled by the volume level.

"Turn that down!" I whispered.

"We come out to Broadway street to see that some smoky…thing is terrorizing these innocent civilians. Right here is an eyewitness account from someone who has actually seen this strange creature."

"It-It was black, with these horrible red eyes!" the man said. "I saw it tear this guy apart like he was tissue paper! He was my stunt double for the next film I was doing…it was horrible to watch!" The reporter, Wendy, out the microphone closer to his face.

"What is your name?" she asked.

"St-Stan," he stuttered in reply.

"Did this creature say anything to you?"

"Well, it was going on and on about this thing called NCIS, and revenge, but I could never make any sense of it! Seriously, this was totally freaky!"

"Where do you think it went now?"

"Down that way," Stan pointed west. Ziva and I exchanged a glance. She turned off the TV.

"Well, now we know where to go," Jenny said. None of us spoke for a while.

_What I've felt, what I've known_

_Never shined through in what I've shown_

_Never free, never me_

_So I dub thee unforgiven_

_I'm never free never been_

_So I dub thee unforgiven_

_You labeled me_

_I'll label you_

_So I dub thee unforgiven_

_I'm never free I've never been_

_So I dub thee unforgiven_

_You labeled me I'll label you_

_So I dub thee unforgiven_

After the song came to a close, there was a long silence. I checked my phone for any messages, but came up empty.

"Abby, you listen to the weirdest songs," Ziva said at last. I pulled out my laptop and found a chat was left open. Feeling curious, I started typing.

_Meanwhile, back at NCIS…_

"What do you mean your phone died, probie?" Tony exclaimed. "Rule three, man, don't forget it now of all times!" I sighed and ignored him. Abby was probably expecting a call from me or something.

"Just send a text to Ziva and explain everything. I have a backup plan," Tony rolled his eyes and followed orders.

"Where's Gibbs anyway? He hasn't shown his face for over three hours,"

"Remember what the Director said? He was getting things ready for her baby,"

"What were they going to name it by the way? Kylie?" I shrugged and opened the chat, as I had planned earlier. Now, all I had to do was wait.

"Think they arrived in New York yet?" I asked.

"Hmm…well, Zee-VAH isn't answering my text messages, so I'm not sure right now," he responded.

"Have you heard from Kate's sister? She would probably want to be involved in all the action, or at least know some of what's going on over here."

"No, I don't even have her number," Tony said. I raised my eyebrows. The great Tony, not getting a girl's phone number? What kind of alternate dimension did I live in? Then I remembered Kate.

"It's because of Kate, right?" I guessed. He shrugged, but I could tell what he was thinking. We were both quiet for a while, waiting for any news from the girls. That was when I realized holding down the fort was so boring. Tony probably thought the same thing, and started folding a paper airplane for entertainment.

"Can't believe Director Shepard made us stay here," Tony complained, throwing the paper airplane at my face. I caught the flying object with ease and tossed it back at him. His phone vibrated, nearly falling off the desk.

"Huh. Ziva says they already checked in. By the way, your charger's at her house," I groaned.

"Well, ask her where she keeps the key," I said. "Abby's probably worried about me,"

"No can do, probie. You know she takes the key with her," I turned back to my computer and saw the chat screen was still blank. Then, suddenly, words started appearing.

**Coffinvampire303: I never thought of you as the type to fool around in a chat room, Tim :)**

"What was that noise?" Tony asked. He glanced over at me. "Did you just get a message from Abby in that stupid chat room?" 

"Like you don't spend all your time on there as well," I said.

"You're right, I don't. I spend my time playing Spider Solitaire against some guy in Germany who seems to think betting all his money every time is a smart idea."

"I thought you said he was Belgian," I argued, starting to type a response.

"Belgian, German, same thing," Tony muttered. "I failed geography, as you know,"

"Whatever…you told me five times, Tony,"

**MITgrad77: My phone died, didn't Ziva tell you?**

**Coffinvampire303: No…hey, did you mess with my iPhone, by the way? There's a bunch of weird songs on it that I never downloaded…**

**MITgrad77: I don't know the lock password, so no. Try asking Tony.**

**Coffinvampire303: Alright. We will be home as soon as we can, Timmy! Love you!**

"Heard from Kate, McChatRoom?" Tony asked, interrupting my thoughts.

"Nope," I answered. "Why don't you call her? She probably misses you," On that last statement, I was being sarcastic, but he took my advice anyway. I looked back at the computer screen, but saw Abby was offline. Looks like I'd be unreachable for a while…then I remembered the solar charger I kept in my car.

"I'll be right back," I said to Tony, heading to the elevator. He paid no attention to me, striking up a phone conversation with Kate like he probably would any other afternoon.

_Manhattan Island_

"Did you see that?"

"I swear, I'm not crazy! It just flew past us!"

"What the hell was that?"

All of Manhattan Island was going crazy, and all because of him…Alistair was wrecking havoc all over the place, but now it was time for him to return to his temporary home. Backstage at the Broadway theater, there was a supposedly haunted dressing room nobody would use. This is where he created the artificial womb for the stolen children. Two girls, identical twins. At the moment their names did not matter. All he wanted was that they grew up to be the beginning of his New World Order. Originally, Abby was to be a part of it, but as she refused to cooperate and hand over the stolen powers, he had to compromise somehow.

"Did you…hear that?"

"I told you it was haunted!"

"All those moans and screams…it's terrible!"

The actors in the theater were growing suspicious. So, he needed to kill them all. But wouldn't that make him even more noticed by the others? Alistair sighed, realizing he needed a human body as a host until he was able to take on his own form. He merged with the first human he could find, a very generic person that could easily blend in with the crowd.

"Alright then, let's take it from the top: we are doing the scene where Corie's mother comes into the apartment. Greg, what are you doing? You're supposed to be stage right!" Alistair realized he was now a part of Broadway theater. No matter. The more complex his disguise the better. He met the director's eyes straight on.

"Sorry. Where was my spot again?"

This was going to be too easy…he smiled to himself.


	19. Chapter 19

Abby POV

I walked into the Broadway theater, taking in the wonderful sights. Greg looked steadily at me, and through his endless sky blue eyes I thought I saw a tinge of red.

"So, the director has allowed me to give you a little tour today," Greg said, refocusing my attention on him. "Everywhere except the haunted dressing room…" He frowned, as if he has said too much already. I shrugged, deciding not to question it for now. I have my own ways to get what I wanted anyway. Gibbs of all people knew that. He came a stop to the very edge of the stage and started talking without looking at me.

"Over here's the stage, one of the largest in the world as you can see…" I snuck off as he continued rambling on, searching for the haunted dressing room. Maybe I'd find a ghost in there. Yeah, right. I'm a scientist! But, then again…Kate was alive once more. So perhaps I had some things to learn about the ways of the supernatural. Finally, I found a locked door that I easily picked with a bobby pin I discovered in my skirt pocket. The door swung open, and I stared at the most unbelievable sight in the short, but unusual life I have lived so far. There, in the center of the room, was a blood red see through sort of…bubble with my precious twins inside, feeding off an artificial umbilical chord. They were both healthy girls, but they belonged inside me, not out there.

"I'll save you," I whispered. "No idea how, but I promise that one day you'll feel fine again," With a snap of my fingers, I transported myself all the way back to the hotel room to report my findings to the others.

Kate POV

"I'm bored," I mumbled into the bed sheets. "Being dead was a lot more exciting than this…"

"You're telling me," Jenny scoffed, rolling her eyes. "At least you've got Abby's iPod for entertainment. There's not even anything on TV to watch," I sighed and flopped over onto my back for a change of scenery. Suddenly, Abby appeared in front of me. I let out a scream and fell off the bed. When I got up I could see that she looked horrified by something.

"I saw my twins," Abby announced in a whisper. "They're being held in the haunted dressing room inside a makeshift placenta…its red, red as blood, I can't get the image out of my head," She started sobbing. Jenny pulled the distressed woman to her. I watched them, feeling sort of like a third wheel again.

"We'll save them," Jenny assured her. "We just need a way to get in there without being noticed. They looked at me.

"Well, looks like it's up to me for this one," I said after a moment. "How do you feel about being invisible for more than two hours at a time?"

**A/N: This just seemed like a great place to stop. Short, I know, stop yelling about it! Will update soon, promise…I'm just busy at the moment…kind of…or lazy however you want to put it. Seriously I have places to be though.**


	20. Chapter 20

**AN: I promise I haven't forgotten this story…its just I have other priorities, you know? Strangely enough this is not what I'm focusing on at the moment. Weird, right? I actually have a life and stuff. And also two other siblings who fight over this laptop that doesn't even belong to me or them. So, here's to a few free moments and a brand new chapter. Hopefully it will be longer than the last one.**

Jenny POV

"This feels so weird," I whispered to where I thought Kate happened to be standing. Ziva had remained behind to make sure nothing of ours went missing. Stupid cheap locks…

"Shh, people are staring. I'll be right behind you, so keep walking," We were almost to the dressing room that Abby had mentioned. She had gone in first, and now it was only me and Kate just outside the door. I drifted through the door and found Abby sitting in a chair, her eyes filled with fright. There I saw the thing she had described earlier. I tried not to look at it too much. It was beyond disturbing. Kate reappeared inside the room and examined the bubble-like object taking up most of the area.

"If we detach this, no doubt they won't be able to breathe," Kate murmured. She glanced at Abby. I could practically see the wheels turning.

"I'm going to need to reopen that wound. Sorry, Abby…but it's for the best," She nodded, but didn't say anything. Kate sat her down back in the chair and took off her shirt. Then she swiped her hand across the scar. I watched as blood streamed out, as if the wound had been unzipped. Then Kate turned and attempted to somehow pop the makeshift home for the unborn twins. I quickly looked away, almost afraid of what was going to happen next.

"It's okay, I think if I just-" There was a tearing sound, and suddenly the carpet was soaking wet with some sort of fluid. I left the room to go distract others, noticing I was still invisible.

"I hear voices," someone said, approaching the door.

"Of course you do," I whispered in a strange tone. "You're going crazy," The cast member ran off, screaming his head off. I followed the guy, wondering where he was headed.

Kate POV

"Remind me to never do that again," I said to Abby some fifteen minutes later, closing up the wound as quickly as possible.

"Now, to get out of here…" Jenny ran into the room, grinning evilly. Abby and I exchanged a glance, knowing this probably wasn't good.

"Now the place is haunted for real. Let's get out before they notice this mess," she said in a rush. Greg appeared in the room just then, seemingly out of nowhere. His eyes were blood red, and filled with impossible rage. Just then, he started transforming into…Alistair! Out of panic, I transported both me and Jenny back to the hotel room. I sighed in relief and collapsed onto the bed.

"What a day," the Director commented, sinking into a chair. "Where's Abby by the way?"

"Oh no," I whispered. "I forgot about her!" By the time I went back, she was gone, along with all signs any of us had been here, including the twins.

Abby POV

"Now, to strip away any power you have…" Alistair murmured. I noticed he was getting a little more human-like now.

"So, all you want is to be powerful again?" I asked him casually, as if I wasn't in some sort of dark void with shapeless shadows constantly floating around me and making me shiver.

"I want MY powers back, and you took them!" Alistair insisted.

"Which ones?" I questioned. "Perhaps I don't even have them at all,"

"Well…you know," he spluttered, looking uncertain now. "The laser eyes, and the power to bring people back from the dead…I've lost track now, but you've got one of them for sure,"

"Why couldn't you just be nice about it? Here, take this one, the…bring back from the dead thingy. It's not like I need it or anything," Alistair gazed at me in astonishment. He was less smoky now, and was almost in a human shape.

"I have to be more careful about how I treat humans these days, as I used to be one, long ago," he said at last.

"Look, I'll make you a deal," I told him. "If you quit being all evil, I'll find a suitable host for you for all of eternity," Scarlet eyes pierced into me. I stared back, completely unafraid.

"We've got a deal. Let's go host searching, shall we, Abigail?" I shook my head.

"Only Ducky calls me that,"

Ziva POV

Turns out, guard duty was a lot more boring than I thought it would be. I tried to distract myself with music and even counting cracks on the ceiling, without much success. Finally Kate and Jenny returned, minus Abby. Kate fell onto the other bed and Jenny sat down in a chair. I didn't pay attention to their conversation until I heard Abby mentioned. By the time I decided to join in with something interesting to say, Kate was gone, and only the Director remained.

"Jenny, what happened to Abby?" I asked.

"She got left behind,"

"Abby's gone!" Kate shouted, reappearing in the hotel room. "Alistair took her,"

"Okay, calm down," I said. "Maybe this isn't as bad as you think," But Kate wouldn't listen to me.

"We have to get her back before Gibbs suddenly decides to call and be all worried," she continued, pacing back and forth. I tracked her anxious movements, knowing that there was no way I could persuade her to listen.

"How are we going to do that if we don't even know where she is?" Jenny asked.

"All we can do is wait and hope she returns here," I added. That seemed to convince her, and she sat back down on the bed in resignation.

Abby POV

"How about someone from Europe?" I suggested, looking through the world map screen device thing Alistair had told me about.

"I want an American," he insisted, changing the channel to the United States. "What about this person?" He stopped the flashing faces on someone I knew very well. My brother Daniel.

"Ah, no…he's sort of important to me," I said quickly.

"It says here that he's dead," The breath was knocked out of me at that news. Alistair look unconcerned, but when he glanced back at me, he realized his mistake and squinted at the screen again.

"Wait, hold on! I read it wrong! It says his _grandfather_ is dead…I'll find someone else," He carefully avoided my eyes for several long minutes while I got my bearings. For God's sake, he scared me half to death! Daniel couldn't be dead anyway, we had spoken recently. Hadn't we? I vaguely remembered telling him things that had happened at NCIS. Then I thought of Ziva and the others, who were probably worried sick about me.

"Hey, think you could message the others that I'm completely unharmed, and what I'm doing over here?" I asked Alistair.

"Don't get used to this side of me," he muttered, vanishing on the spot. I looked at the TV screen, gazing at my brother's face. I hoped he was alright, and wondered if he was thinking of me right now.

Daniel POV

"Wow, that's weird," I muttered.

"What?" my date asked me. I barely remembered her name. Megan? Cindy? That hardly mattered, though.

"I feel like someone is watching me," I said.

"Just focus on the movie," Tracie-yes that was her name. I sighed and decided to just forget about it. _Wonder if I should pay Abby a visit tomorrow…_

Alistair POV- 3rd person

Alistair appeared in the room, causing much alarm from the three woman sitting in various spots with identical looks of concern on their faces.

"I'm here to deliver a message," he said in a dull tone. This was all part of his plan. To get a decent host who will be long lasting, and raise an undead army to do his bidding.

"Abby is unharmed, and I have no intention of doing anything to her," Yet, anyway. She would pay in the end. But she hadn't done a thing to him…Abby was so sweet and forgiving. Ziva was the only one who remained suspicious.

"Well, just bring her back safely and we don't have a reason to hurt you," Kate said. Ahh, Kate was interesting to have around…too bad Abby had to be selfish and take her away from him. He rolled his eyes and vanished at once. Task completed. Time to find that host before Abby suspected foul play in this one sided agreement. He had no intention of shedding away his old ways. But, wouldn't that be wrong? Since Abby had never done any wrong to him? Alistair paused before approaching his world overseeing device. He shook his head. This was what he got for hanging around good people. They started to get to him.


	21. Chapter 21

**AN: There will be a lot of third person in this chapter, but not to worry, it will go back to regular POVs soon.**

"Thank you soo much for helping me," Alistair sneered. I was now chained up in his unknown realm of darkness. "Now I can betray you, and everyone else you happen to be traveling with,"

"Leave Kate alone!" I shouted, staring angrily at him. I was so wrong to believe he had truly changed sides. His eyes glowed a crimson red, the color of blood. I glared at him, feeling more anger than fear. Alistair's host was a random person from Georgia. I had done my research to make sure he wouldn't be missed by anyone important. Apperantly I made a huge mistake in doing that. Now I was trapped here for who knows how long.

"Alright, one last affair to attend to before I leave...hmm I think a nice frozen in time spell will do nicely. You won't know what hit you," I felt a jolt somewhere deep down inside me.

_Five weeks later_

"This is hopeless!" McGee moaned, slumping against the wall. "We're never going to find her..." Everyone was at the last of their energy. Tony was trying to keep a very tired Kate awake while Gibbs and Jenny were buzzing around, getting up to date news on the search from every department of NCIS they had ordered to find any sort of clue as to where Abby happened to be.

"Jenny, you need some rest," Gibbs said. She continued standing there, her face flushed with the stress of the past several weeks. Ziva glanced up at them then resumed typing at her computer. Kate fell asleep despite Tony's best efforts and Tony went to carry her down to autopsy so she could get some rest.

"Jen, please," Gibbs begged. She didn't seem to have heard him. He glanced down at the carpet, which had suddenly gotten wet.

"Jethro...my water broke," she said faintly. He pulled her to the elevator, his mind working faster than it ever had before, a million thoughts going through his head at once.

"What's going on?" Ziva asked.

"Jen is going into labor," Her eyes widened, and in an instant she ran after them.

_Another Demension_

Slowly, so slowly she didn't even notice at first, Abby started to regain her senses. Touch came first and she could feel the cool metal chains keeping her here. It seemed like only hours had passed since Alistair left this place. She found that she could easily slip out of the chains. Her wrists had become that thin. Sound came next, but that hardly mattered. It was dead silent here. She forced her eyes open. More than hours must have passed. She felt so weak and drained.

"Eat this," a voice ordered. Alistair appeared, holding a container filled with some sort of substance and a spoon. She obeyed, grateful that she could experience something other than heavy nothingness.

"How long are you keeping me here?" Abby asked, her voice rough from lack of use. Alistair pretended to not have heard her. The substance tasted vaguely like vanilla, and it was light and fluffy like cotton candy. She finished it off quickly and found some of her strength coming back.

"I was away much too long. You nearly died here before I could reach you,"

"What are you going to do with me?" she questioned, her voice warbling with fear. He sighed and turned away, his handsome face looking at the TV screen.

"The twins will have to be born here, as you may have figured out. You are about six months along, by the looks of things. The final trimester, where it is likely that it is unsafe for you to travel. Before anything can happen, I'll have to let you gain some weight, for in the past five weeks you have been suffering from malnutrition. I'll see to it you are cared for from this point on." He had not noticed that she was completely unchained. Now was her chance. She melted into the smoke, disguising herself. Then she drifted off through the only exit available, hoping she'd be able to find the others in time.

_Bethesda_

Gibbs POV

It was very hard to act calm in this sort of situation. Jen and I had made an agreement to keep the gender of the baby a surprise until after birth. But that was not why I was anxious. Abby was still missing, and here I was trying to calmly sip my coffee as if it weren't a huge concern. Ziva made for nice company, as she didn't find it necessary to fill long silences with meaningless chatter. I agree with her. Who needs ten words when you could say five or less and still get your point across? Three hours had passed since I brought Jen to the hospital. I was on my second coffee cup.

"I cannot believe there isn't even a sign of Abby anywhere in New York," Ziva said. "You'd think a happy, bubbly Goth forensic specialist in the city that never sleeps would at least be noticed by someone." I smiled a little at the thought of this.

"Ducky on the way?" I asked, speaking for the first time in the hospital.

"I just called him with the news. He should be here in fifteen minutes or so," I fell silent again, having nothing else to say on the matter.

_Autopsy_

Ducky POV

"You can count on us, Ziva," I said into my phone, hanging up. I looked up and saw Abby standing there, looking much thinner and worse for wear, but alive and well nonetheless.

"Abigail, my darling...where have you been?" I exclaimed. She stared at me for a moment, as if I were speaking another language. Then she spoke.

"Alistair took me to his world. I was held there for weeks. He wanted me children, and tried to get them by betraying me in the worst way...oh, I don't want to talk about it," She threw her arms around me.

"There, now, you're safe, so that's all that matters at the moment," I assured her. "Let's get you to the hospital," Kate stirred, having had fallen asleep in a chair when Tony brought her here. He was gone on a coffee break, but he was likely to be back soon.

"Why? Is someone hurt?" Abby asked anxiously, pulling away from me.

"Mr. Palmer, keep an eye on Caitlin for me while we go to Bethesda," I called.

"Ducky, answer me!" Abby said.

"Don't worry so much, everyone's fine," I replied, heading out the door. She followed me to the car lot.

"Then why are we going to Besthesda?"

"You'll see soon enough," I smiled at her. She relaxed a little at the knowledge that everyone was safe.

Tony POV

I went into autopsy to find Kate wide awake and grinning at me. I set down her coffee on the table, wondering why she had suddenly decided to wake up.

"I overheard Ducky's conversation and guess who's back!" she said happily.

"Uhh...Voldemort?" I guessed stupidly. I had been watching all the _Harry Potter _movies over the weekend in one huge marathon. It took me about ten hours. Kate rolled her eyes and stood up.

"No, it's Abby! Come on, let's go!" She dragged me out of the room, coffee forgotten.

"Wait, where-"

"Shh! I'm concentrating!" Suddenly we were standing outside Bethesda.

"How-"

"Stop talking and come on!" Kate shouted. I sighed and followed her inside. At least Abby was back, but I wished Kate would just explain instead of giving me all these riddles and interrupting me whenever I tried to ask any questions. Ducky was not here yet, but he did not have teleportation powers like Kate happened to possess.

"Now all we do is wait," she whispered to me as she approached the waiting room. Well, duh. That was what the room was for in the first place. I saw Ziva sitting there next to Gibbs reading a book called _Fever 1793_. I frowned at the title, wondering why Ziva was reading about a time period I didn't even understand.

"How's the Director?" I asked.

"Nothing on her yet," Gibbs said. I sat in the only available chair and gazed blankly at the white wall in front of me. Kate fidgeted, looking restless. It was hard to believe that she had been exhausted not long before.

"How long's she been in labor now?" Ziva asked Gibbs.

"Three and a half hours," I glanced at my watch. It was going to be a long night. Ducky came in, Abby practically clinging onto him. Ziva smiled.

"You are back," she said.

"Yep," Abby replied, being unusually brief. "Who's hurt?"

"You don't know?" Ziva asked. "Jenny's gone into labor while we were searching for you,"


	22. Chapter 22

**AN: Thank you so much! The reviews have just been FLOODING in, I have had no idea where to start first! So, as a reward for all of your support, I will try and update ALL of my stories today. I know, unheard of, right? Let's see how many updates can be made before I'm kicked off my laptop. Ready? Okay! In continuation from where we left off...I think this one is priority.**

Abby POV

"L-labor?" I stuttered. "How long have I been gone?"

"Five weeks," Ziva said. I sank to the floor against the wall, feeling shell shocked by all of this. How could I have allowed myself to trust Alistair when he was nothing but bad news? The hours ticked by very slowly. I think McGee tried to comfort me. It is possible that Kate sat down next to me at one point. But I took no notice of anything.

"She's just shocked, is all. Give her some time." Was that Gibbs talking? I struggled to focus on something comforting, familiar even. But there was nothing but a blank sort of haze surrounding me.

"Come on, snap out of it!" I woke up to my cheek stinging like crazy.

"Huhwha?" I mumbled. "What happened?"

_**You cannot escape me, Abigail Sciuto!**_ Alistair howled in my head. I felt a great pain somewhere inside me. Then there was nothing.

General POV

Abby gasped. Her eyes rolled back in her head. Everyone watched in horror as she slipped into unconsciousness for no apparent reason. McGee was first to reach her, lightly shaking his girlfriend in an attempt to wake her up. Kate leaned over and checked her pulse.

"What just happened?" Ziva asked, remaining mostly calm.

"There's blood...Abby's might lose the babies. It's either a premature birth or risk losing them," McGee said grimly.

"Alright, get her to a doctor," Gibbs ordered.

"I think it was Alistair," Kate said to Ziva.

"I believe you are right. He has been causing a lot of trouble lately...maybe he had kidnapped her all of this time."

"Then why could we never find her?" Kate asked as McGee tried to carry Abby out of the waiting room. Tony went to help him.

"Ah, the miricale of birth," Ducky said. Everyone gave him a look. He fell silent and pretended to be interested in the month old ads peeling from the walls.

Abby POV

Dark. It was vey dark here. I tried to get a sense of my surroundings. But all there was around me was this darkness. It was cold, too. Why was it cold? I shivered.

"Hello, Abby. I found you again," Alistair said. I blinked as a soft white light came on, revealing Alistair sitting on some sort of surface.

"Where am I?"

"Physically, the hospital. But your soul was dragged into my realm. And as long as you're here, you are never going to wake up."

"Why do you have to cause us so much trouble? You got what you wanted!" I shouted at him.

"Ah, not exactly. You know of the Illuminati? I created that sense of fear...the New World Order is coming. And to create it, I'll be needing the rest of those powers from you." I felt some sort of jolt, like something was being removed from me.

"There we go. Next item of business...you know too much. Sorry, but you can't leave."

"The Illuminati?" I questioned. "What is their purpose?"

"Just my eyes and ears of this world. I can't keep an eye on everything at once, so I've got some ways to keep track of everything when my back is turned." I thought of everything I had ever learned in life: stay off the mainframe; it is a bad place to be.

"All those new things out there...pop music, Hollywood, YouTube...those were of my design," Alistair continued. He started walking around me, looking very comfortable in this place. I remembered seeing how out of place he seemed back on Earth, my demension. Though he hid everything very carefully, there was always something off in his eyes. I took all of this information and stuffed it away. An idea began to form. I tried to hide the mischevious smile that threatened to form and give myself away as being a deciever.

"Hey, so about this New World Order thing you mentioned...it's kind of hard to get things going from...what is this place called?"

"This is Hellonia, the fourteenth demension in the Milky Way Galaxy." Hmm. Hell, Hellonia. I was close enough.

"As I was saying...it's tough to get your New World Order going, because there are some factors you cannot control from Hellonia. I suggest you come to Earth and take care of them."

"What...factors do you speak of?" he asked, interested suddenly.

"Well, to start, NCIS will not approve of your actions. I insist that you get rid of a certain Leroy Jethro Gibbs before doing anything else. Tony will be first to try and avenge you, as well as Ziva, you know what she can be like. Pick them off one by one."

"Where is Gibbs?"

"Bethesda Hosptial. Release me, and I will take you to him."

"I have no intention of releasing you! I can just use my locator!'"

"Ah, but he will be expecting that," I said quickly, improvising my plan.

"Curses! That man is always screwing things up! I'll have to trust you for now. Alright, I shall release you and go see where Gibbs is..." I snapped my eyes open and found myself in a hospital bed, out in the maternity ward. It didn't take long for me to put two and two together.

"She's awake!" McGee cried out, leaping out of his chair and running out of the room. "Did the twins survive?" _My babies...my precious babies!_ Suddenly, they were all I could think about. A nurse came in with an infant in each arm. They must have done a C section to get them out, because I definitely didn't feel anything.

"I have them here. Two very premature, but healthy girls. What are you naming them, Agent McGee?" He turned and looked at me.

"I name one, you name the other," he said. I gazed at him, wondering how much time had passed since I was in the waiting room. At the moment, such a trival detail did not matter.

"Hayley, that one should be named Hayley," I pointed at the smaller infant in the nurse's arms. McGee studied the other child very carefully. They were both fast asleep, oblivious that they were gaining identities at this very moment.

"And she will be called...Tabitha," I smiled. The name was pretty and unique. The nurse handed me the twins. Hayley stirred a little, but did not wake.

"They're wonderful," McGee murmured. There was a series of gunshots in the distance. I paid no attention, knowing who they were for.

Jenny POV

"Aww, you're so adorable," I cooed to my newborn Reilly. She fussed a little, but otherwise was being very quiet right now, just hours after birth.

"Now you-" There was a series of gunshots, followed by silence.

"Justice is served," I heard Gibbs say. By the time I made it to where all the noise was coming from, all I could see was a bloody body and Gibbs putting away his gun.

"What happened here?"

"Let's just say he assumed something he shouldn't have,"

"Never assume," I reminded him. Gibbs gave me the ghost of a smile, but that was grinning for him.

"How's the baby?" he asked.

"She's doing great, no problems," I said. "Want to see her? I left her with the doctor to be looked after,"

General POV

After both Abby and Jenny were able to go home with their children, which was two weeks later, it was another average day in the bullpen. Abby and the Director were at home on maternity leave for the next four weeks.

"Tony," Kate called. "What was with that voicemail you left me?"

"What voicemail?" Tony inquired, craning his head to look at her phone. "I don't remember leaving you anything..."

"It's from your number,"

"That's my old number, I have no idea what you're talking about,"

"Hmm, that's strange. I'm going to trace this..." Kate started typing at her keyboard.

"How is Abby doing?" Ziva asked McGee.

"She's very stressed out at the moment, but is happy she can finally drink Caf-Pow! again. Why don't you give her a call?"

"Ugh, it's the telemarketer saying you never cancelled your old number, Tony! We have the same phone company and plan...so it must have accidentally went into my inbox,"

"They're weird, and I did cancel it," Tony whined. "I'm calling them! There has to be a mistake going on here." Gibbs walked in, looking all business.

"Put down the phones, you're going to the movies."

"Why, boss? A new good film out?" Tony asked. "Ouch! Sorry, boss!" He rubbed the back of his head.

"FreeWheeler Ceminas has a dead Marine. Gear up!" Kate hesitated, the last to leave. Ziva paused at the elevator and looked back.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing," Kate blurted, hurrying into the elevator. Ziva watched her carefully the whole elevator ride, wondering if this meant anything in particular.


	23. Chapter 23

General POV

At the cenimas, gathering evidence was generally uneventful, except for the fact that Kate was behaving rather strangely. She distanced herself from everyone and hardly spoke a word.

"David, Todd, I want you two to talk to the Marine's nieces," Gibbs ordered. "They live just down the road, 1534 FreeWheel Lane. Two girls, they live with a single mother. McGee and Dinozzo will finish up here." The whole drive was filled with an unconfortable silence. Way down the road, when Ziva was about to get out, Kate grabbed her by the arm.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Swerve out of the way." Kate said.

"What?"

"You heard me. Swerve the car to the right. Trust me, you'll thank me later." Ziva did as she was told. A truck squealed past, smashing into another innocent car and exploding on impact.

"How did you know that was going to happen?" Ziva demanded.

"Just get out, we are still in danger!" Kate ordered.

Abby POV

I was completely exhausted. Both children were asleep. Now was a good time to get some rest before anything else happened. Of course, the second I closed my eyes, my phone rang. I groaned and blindly searched for it, wondering what was so important that I was denied of any rest.

"What?" I growled into the reciever, exhaustion draning away any of my normally pleasent mood. There was a brief silence, during which I was grateful for the momentary peace. Then the voice spoke.

"Abigail Sciuto, if you would so kindly meet me at the corner of Destiny Park tonight, at midnight, I have some information on how to stop the New World Order. Someone has taken Alistair's place, and with the new powers I am about to give you...you and Caitlin Todd are the only ones who can stop them."

"How do you know us? Me, especially? How did you get my number?"

"By infilitrating into the N.W.O. I have access to major organizations to make sure nobody in there is betraying my own organization."

"And that organization is...?"

"Scientific Cooperation of Rebellion."

"Give me one reason why I should trust you." I grumbled, still not in the mood for this kind of nonesense.

"I am your only hope for any clue at saving all of civilization from becoming slaves to the new world goverment from another dimension." Now he had my attention.

"Okay, you got me interested. What do I need to do?"

"Just meet me at the park I mentioned. Come alone. I'll let you know what the plan is from there." The line disconnected. I was left staring at my phone for several moments in complete shock of what had just happened. Then I could hear Hayley crying, followed by Tabitha. I inwardly groaned and went to quiet them down. Was I about to go through eighteen years of this?

Kate POV

"Your dreams are more like specific visions than actual dreams," Ziva said, examining the damage of the wrecks.

"I believe they _are _specific visions," I corrected her. "And...I don't think this was one of Alistair's abilities, either."

"What does that mean?"

"Not sure yet...but at least this means I won't end up losing something that he thinks isn't rightfully mine."

"Well, what exactly happened to the car?"

"Not much, looks like it was a clean miss. It's safe for us to leave it here. I think we have some nieces to talk to right about now," In front of us was a large, empty looking house. I stepped inside, and gasped at the sight of everything. At one point this home must have belonged to a middle class family, very average, but over time it appeared that it had gotten severely neglected. Dust collected in corners. Old toys, crumbs, and trash littered the living room floor, obscuring any clear view of the carpet. A quick glance told me that it has been a long time since any sort of spring cleaning had been done. The place smelled of death. I knew that smell well. I followed the scent to the bathroom, where I discovered our second body of the day. It was a young woman, a little younger than my age. She was slumped over the bathtub, resh blood pouring onto the floor out of a gunshot wound. I guessed that she must have died recently. But the smell suggested that there was an older body here. I glanced at the air vent and heard squeaking. Rats. There was probably dead rats up there, along with live ones.

"Send Ducky over this way. I'll go find the kids," I told Ziva. She pulled out her phone and started dialing. I heard a cough from behind me, weak and sickly.

"Miss? Is it safe?" a voice croaked. A young girl of about seven stood there, looking pale, thin, and generally malnourished.

"Safe from what?"

"Mother..." She stared past me at the body. Then the girl threw her arms around me, shaking with silent sobs.

"Get me out of here." she whimpered. I picked her up in my arms as Ziva hung up the phone.

"Who is that?" she asked.

"The victim's daughter I'm guessing. She's probably one of the Marine's nieces as well. I think we should ger her some food and water before asking her anything."

"What about the other one?"

"Look for her while I take care of this one. Gibbs thinks they have important information about Daniel." She went off to another part of the house.

"What's your name?" I asked the girl, who had quieted down somewhat.

"Daisy. My sister's name is Rose."

"Your mother like flowers?" We were almost to the car by now.

"Yes, before..." Daisy winced, seeming unable to go on. I could see bruises on her arms and neck.

"It's okay, you and your sister are safe now," I assured her in a gentle voice.

"I'm going to wait for Ducky!" Ziva called from the front door. "The other girl is not breathing!" Daisy's pale green eyes widened.

"My sister!" she breathed, struggling to get out of my arms.

"She will be fine," I promised. "We know how to perform CPR. It's part of our training." Daisy quieted down. I put her in the backseat and started driving away, taking a route that would keep me far away from the recent accident.

"Who are you?" Daisy asked.

"My name is Kate, and I'm an NCIS agent," I responded. The drive back was very quick. Back in the bullpen, Tony was bothering McGee as usual. Gibbs was not there, probably on a coffee run. Daisy insisted that she walk in on her own, so I obliged, keeping close by in case she had another breakdown again.

"Are you hungry?" I asked her. The girl nodded uncertainly, as if the prospect of food was a foreign one. "I'll get you something to eat, and then we can talk."


	24. Chapter 24

Gibbs POV

"Where's Ziva?" Tony asked McGee, who was ignoring him in order to get his work done. They were currenly leaving the crime scene. Ducky had left for an emergency elsewhere, so Palmer had to finish up with the body and have it taken back to NCIS.

"You need to pay attention, Dinozzo," I said, resisting the urge to smack him upside the head for the third time since I had sent Ziva and Kate to the house Daniel's mother Helen had described. I saw Kate's car go flying past, but did not see Ziva in there. A few minutes after that, Ducky's van followed.

"So, when are you going to pop the question?" Tony said.

"What question?" McGee looked at him as he got into his car.

"THE question, of course! How long have you been dating her, like eight months? She's going to wonder eventually."

"What, about getting married?" McGee got into Tony's car and reached for the seatbelt.

"Duh, McClueless!" Tony rolled his eyes. I got into the car as well. Carpooling was a common thing since we all drove so much from crime scene to crime scene.

"I haven't really thought about it, since so much has been going on," McGee said. "What with Abby getting Kate back, losing her twins, getting them back, and nearly losing them for good, marriage has been one of the last things on my mind." Tony started the car and began driving away.

"Well, why don't you make plans with her once things settle down, then?" Tony suggested.

"Fine," McGee sighed.

"Shut up, you two," I growled, getting annoyed with the coversation. My phone rang just then. Jen was calling.

"Yeah, Gibbs," I said, my typical greeting regardless of who was calling me.

"Jethro...I'm going to need you to get some soy formula. Everything our child eats just comes right back up in my face. Not a pleasent thing to experience."

"Lactose intolerant?" I questioned. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Because it wasn't a major problem until I took Reilly to the doctor today. She's lost weight."

"Be there in ten." I hung up and got out the second Tony stopped the car.

"Dinozzo's in charge till I get back." I called, getting into my own car and driving out of the car lot before anyone could say anything.

Abby POV

I was definitly being run ragged. I collapsed onto the couch, planning to sleep until nexr week. Unfortunately, only two hours later, I was woken up by McGee coming home. I flopped onto my back and sighed as he came in. Hayley started whining quietly, but stopped as soon as I picked her up. McGee took her from me and smiled.

"You look exhausted," he said.

"No kidding," I muttered. "The twins have been keeping me on my feet for days at a time now. Could you check on Tabitha for me? I believe I've got a major headache..." I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.

Kate POV

_A figure, quite unseen in the night, drifted along, waiting. Not too long now. She will arrive, as promised. Five more minutes. This girl was his only chance..._

"Kate?"

"What?" I said. Tony was looking at me. "Why are you staring at me?"

"You kind of been spacing out for the past few minutes..."

"I'm going to get some coffee. Ziva, watch the girls for me. They seem to like you the most." After I got my coffee, I decided to go visit Ducky. I hadn't seen him for a while and thought it was best to at least say hi.

"Hello, Caitlin," I spun around and saw Ducky standing there.

"What are you doing here?"

"Mr. Palmer wanted some coffee and I thought I'd get some for him," he responded. I had heard about this Palmer guy before, but hadn't seen very much of him. Perhaps he was destined to remain in the shadows, much like Abby did so often in her lab. But now she was gone, hiding in her house with those children of hers.

"I was just coming by to visit." I told him. "Have you heard from Abby at all these past couple weeks?"

"I'm afraid not, my dear, I'm just as in the dark as you are." He sadly shook his head. "I do wish she'd pay a visit soon...how much longer is she going to be staying at home?"

"A month," I replied. "I bet she'll spend the whole time either caring for the twins or sleeping. Children can get exhausting at times. Speaking of...I need to get back to Daisy and Rose. I still need to ask them some questions regarding their mother. It seems they suffered from moderate child abuse and neglect."

"Ah, I'll be needing to speak with Jethro about the mother...do you know her name?"

"No,"

McGee POV

While Abby napped in the bedroom, I had to watch over Hayley and Tabitha. I had scarecly more than a few minutes' peace when my phone rang.

"Boss?"

"I'm heading back. I need you to find out anything you can about the last weeks of Daniel's life."

"Right, boss, but-the twins-"

"Jen is coming over. Where is Abby?"

"Sleeping."

"Make sure she stays that way till Jen arrives."

"Got it, boss,"

Abby POV

_Midnight_

I paced back and forth, a habit I really needed to get rid of if I ever wanted a moment's peace. Several minutes passed with no sign of anyone. Then the only street lamp that happened to be on went out. I shivered in the sudden breeze blowing my way.

"Abby, I can't believe you didn't recognize my voice over the phone!"

"Daniel?" I turned around.

**AN: Cliffies are sooo much fun! Review please!**


	25. Chapter 25

**AN: Aaaand we are back with this story. I'd say sorry for the wait but SOMEone(coughGibbscough) had to make a rule against it...don't own NCIS still, but if I did soo many interesting things would happen, not all of them involving crime scenes.**

Kate POV

I had to find Abby and just see if everything was alright. That vision had been weirding me out all day, and now that I had some free time, it was about time I went to see what was going on. Strangely enough, Tony reacted positively to my whole 'vision' thing earlier today. While he slept, I snuck out and remembered the name that showed up in my head: Destiny Park. Before I could so much as leave the room, Tony sat up sleepily and called my name.

"Katie, where're you goin'?" he slurred, half awake still.

"Shh, I'm just going out for a minute...had a vision about something weird and I want to check things out," I explained quietly. "Get some sleep. I'll be right back."

Abby POV

"So, Danny...what do I need to do to stop the New World Order?" I asked once I had gotten over the shock of seeing him.

"Since we are alone, I suppose I'll have to tell you. Each member of NCIS is supposed to have some sort of ability that will help them in the long run. Now since you had been given abilities that didn't belong to you, you real powers will come in later. Kate already has hers, and Ziva has yet to get her natural one since Eli interrupted the process. Tony doesn't have one yet...and it's obvious Gibbs doesn't need one. As for your Director, she might be showing signs of getting hers very soon. I am not sure about McGee, however. His potential is undetermined at the moment."

"Well, this is weird," was all I managed to say. "What's with all these 'powers' that you keep mentioning? And why is it that you acted like you never knew about this months ago?"

"Well, everything about my real job was supposed to be kept top secret, so it was natural that I did not tell you any of this sooner. Since I got clearence from my boss to tell you the truth, that is what I'm doing now. As for your first question, my organization has been around for generations. They selected a certain group of people who would be powerful enough to stop the NWO. No one was worthy enough for such a task until NCIS came around. That was when they started watching the agents who came and went. It wasn't until Gibbs became senior agent that my organization became interested.

"The years passed, and soon all of you guys were there. It was no accident Ziva happened to become an agent as well. We needed someone powerful from the Mossad on the inside, and Ziva happened to fit the picture." I listened to all of this in silence, completely dumbfounded by all the new information. In the shadows, I saw a figure dart off to hide somewhere. I recognized a faint flash of dark brown hair. But the intruder wasn't sneaky enough to be Ziva...

"Kate?" I whispered, not entirely sure of what I saw.

"About her, good thing you brought her back, since she was kind of needed," Daniel said, but then he followed by gaze to the now burnt out street lamp. Nothing was there. I stared into the intense darkness.

"I swear, she was right there!" I pointed into nothingness. I'm not crazy. Well, not in that way.

"I knew it wasn't safe here," Daniel said, looking very uneasy now. "Only you were supposed to know. But then again, Kate is supposed to be the one with precognitions...should've seen this coming."

"Danny, we can discuss this later. I'll call you...I need to get home to Hayley and Tabitha, my twin girls."

Kate POV

I fell against the wall in complete shock of what I had heard. Of course, when I got home, Tony was asleep again. I was too tired to even think about it all, so I just went back to sleep, hoping everything would make more sense in the morning.

Daniel POV

Such a shame, and I was planning to tell them all at once at some point too. Well, I guess I'll have to make a surprise appearance at NCIS tomorrow morning. Since when did Abby have kids, anyway? My mind went back to all those months ago when we had magically reunited. her stomach was slightly potruding then, more so than it should than with just one child in the making. Of course, Abby was pregnant. I wondered if she got married, before realizing my big sister had major commitment issues, plus other problems to deal with at the moment.

"I need you over at HQ, pronto, Lion," a voice said from nearby.

"Roger that, Beav-"

"I told you not to call me that!" I chuckled uder my breath and went off to find my car. Although SCR sounded like an unprofessional name for an organization, it was actually a very important place to work. Our jobs were highly undercover, sometimes requiring second and third identities in various countires-and that's just to get to the supermarket in the morning. At first I protested at it all, but in time I learned just how many people wanted inside information, and not in a good way either. I just couldn't believe my own _sister_ didn't even suspect, and she's a scientist! I guess my disguise was good. Well, more than good, if I could even fool the elusive Leory Jethro Gibbs Abby had spoken of quite often when we had last met. I took a random turn and kept walking.

Before long I had made it to what seemed to be an ordinary warehouse on the outside, but on the inside was the place I had secretly worked at for over ten years. I rapped lightly on the door, which opened a fraction in response.

"Lion, good to see you. Did you report everything to Subject 2?"

"Yes." My boss did not reveal his real name even to his most inner circles, rather, we all called him Master like slaves would were they still actually legal to have around. But, actually, us having to call the boss Master is more of a joke on his part, since he is such a Star Wars fan. The door swung open to admit me, and I took off my black robes made to hide me in the night. I could see no sign of who was at the door this time, but that hardly bothered me. Everyone was used to hiding themselves away from each other. It was a rare thing to talk to someone here face to face.

"Lion, did you see this? It appears Subject 3 is showing the signs...in her sleep." I followed the sound of this voice over to the computer room, where we watch over every member of NCIS, completely undetected by a new bugging system the Master designed himself. A guy known as Phelps due to his avid following of the 2008 Olympics pointed at the main projector screen that took up almost the whole wall. There was Director Shepard, running to the bathroom and slamming the door shut.

"Switching to Subject 3's Bathroom Cam," Phelps said. He was almost invisible in the facility's near constant darkness. The scene changed to show the Director panting very hard and sweating. Her red locks were a tangled mess, some loose strands clinging to her face. I could see by her widened eyes of shock that this had never happened to her before.

"Please, can't you just refer to them by name at this point?" I muttered. Phelps appeared to not have heard me at all. At the moment, none of these clever agenst seemed like people to anyone, except for me and the Master. "I mean, come on, one of them is my sister!" Phelps just sighed and switched to the camera watching McGee. He was a curious one...I couldn't figure out his ability just yet. Perhaps it would have something to do with technology or something equally geeky.

"Subject 4 is currently inactive," Phelps said into his phone. "Keep an eye on Subject 3 for any signs of change."

"What is it that I'm needed for today?"

"Ask the Master, it's none of my business," Phelps replied. I sighed and stumbled out of the computer room, wondering why I was the only one who bothered building relationships with people.

Abby POV

After being woken up seven times by each of the twins in turn, it was finally time for McGee to leave me here alone to care for them that morning. I fed Hayley first, then Tabitha, and lastly myself to get a jump start on the day. At around 9 am, there was a rapid knock at the door, nearly waking up Hayley, who was such a light sleeper. I answered the door and was surprised to see McGee standing there.

"Timmy?" He walked in as if this were any other day. I shut the door, wondering why he was acting so strange.

"Abs, you know I love you," he started. Oh no, here we go. The break up speech. I forced myself to listen to him.

"Yes?" I asked cautiously, knowing this could not end well.

"I want us to be together...forever. Marry me, Abby?" He was down on one knee. I could see a ring, a velvet box, but that was all in my side vision. All I could really see was his eyes. Completely sincere and kind.

"Of course I will," I smiled at him. Suddenly I was wrapped into a bone crushing hug that I thought only I was capable of. I had no idea when McGee had gotten to his feet, or when the hugging turnd to kissing, but I was loving every minute of it.

"Don't you have to go to work?" I asked him after a while.

"Abs, it's Saturday," he reminded me. I glanced at a calendar. Oh. I must really have been out of it these past couple weeks.

"How long do you think it'll take Kate to plan a wedding?" I wondered. McGee just laughed and pulled me along to where Hayley and Tabitha were sleeping.

"You know, I have another surprise for you. I think I have a potential coustomer to buy this place y next month. If we get married then, find a place and move out, all within thirty days, we'll have our lives under control."

"Sounds good..." I remembered my encounter with Daniel last night, or should I say, early this morning. How was I going to be able to get through these next thirty days if there was so much going on at once?


	26. Chapter 26

**AN: I realize I haven't been focusing on the Director since she gave birth to her child some chapters back, but there's a reason for that. Anyway, on with the story...we shall see exactly what our wonderful redhead Director is up to...**

Jenny POV

The flu-like attacks had been happening for days now, quite randomly, I might add. Gibbs so far doesn't suspect a thing, but today when he came into my house for dinner, he saw me bent over panting for breath, so I knew the game was up.

"Jen, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I said as soon as I could breathe.

"You're sweating bullets, and you call that fine?" I sighed and tore my eyes away from his, with much difficulty.

"I don't know why this is happening...maybe Ducky will have some answers." Suddenly my stomach lurched, and I ran to the bathroom. Reilly started crying out for attention, so Gibbs had no choice but to leave me. When I finally had ten vomit-free minutes, I went to go clean myself up at the sink. I brought my hand down to turn the sink off, when it suddenly did so all on its own. I realized I had twisted my hand in the air and hadn't closed on the handle at all, a strange thing. When I tried again, nothing happened. The house was very quiet. Gibbs must have quiet the child down for now. All my strange symptoms mysteriously began to vanish as I made to leave for NCIS. I was surprised to see Kate approaching me.

"Hello," I said uncertainly. I haven't heard from her since I had gone into labor unexpectedly at NCIS.

"I thought I might find you here," Kate said. "I had a dream about you last night. You were standing in MTRC, and suddenly, when you lifted your hand to do something...Gibbs's coffee fell over all on its own."

"I find that rather strange...I was just headed there, actually." Kate smiled a little. She knew something I didn't, apparently.

"Isn't today Saturday, by the way?" she asked me.

"Well, I have work to do that has been put off for much too long, Kate, now if you don't mind-"

"I was hoping we could talk," Kate interrupted. "It's important, Director. It has to do with the New Word Order Alistair tried to start." I put on my business face and led Kate inside.

"Start from the beginning," I said to her.

"Might want to bring McGee and the crew here, I need them all to know."

Daniel POV

NCIS was completely empty, an unusual thing. I searched all their homes later and found them to be empty. Except...I didn't check Director Shepard's house. How foolish of me. I made a sharp U turn and headed for where the Director happened to live. I was going to meet her at last.

Abby POV

"I already heard everything from him, so you can go while I watch the kids," I had said to McGee. That was almost an hour ago, when he recieved the call from the Director to leave at once and meet up at her house. A week had passed since that fateful late night with my brother. Tabitha was sleeping through some nights, but Hayley still cried most of the time whenever I left her in the crib for too long all alone. I wondered how she could be so different just from being born six minutes later than Tabitha.

So, having nothing to do but sit around and care for the twins, I started to draw up some wedding plans in an old sketchbook sitting around the house. I drew a black dress swathed in deep purples so that it would shine a mysterious midnight shade in the sunlight. I brought the neckline down just enough to satisfy McGee without scandalizing others. I continued drawing, adding more and more details to the dress. By the time I had finished, it was well past lunch time. Hayley cried out from the nursery. I changed her diaper and fed both infants before finding some food for myself.

After I had eaten a turkey sandwich topped with enough lettuce and tomato to put a salad to shame, I returned to my drawing and found it good enough to leave alone. So, turning the page, I began to imagine an overall theme for the wedding. Being with a Goth fashion sense, black, purple, and red were very common colors in the decorations I drew. An indoor wedding seemed to work best with the idea I had in mind. Perhaps the minister won't mind dressing up as the Grim Reaper as if it were Halloween. So it continued for another ten minutes. Just then, McGee walked through the door, looking very surprised to see several drawings spread out all over the living room floor.

"What's all this?" I abandoned my sketch of the Grim Reaper costume and looked at him.

"Just some possible wedding plans," I explained. "What kept you so long? I've been so lonely all morning."

"Well, your brother was explaining all these things to us, and that only took, thirty minutes. But then Director Shepard started acting so weird...I could hardly believe what I was seeing. She...kind of went into this trance, you know? And then, suddenly, Kate's glass of water smashed onto the floor. Water went everywhere. Daniel was then showing her how to control her ability. It was not more than an hour later that Kate spoke up about her own power to see the future. So, we spent another hour and a half getting her into training as well. It was quite an interesting time."

"Forget I asked you about this," I said. McGee laughed and went into the nursery. I followed him, regretting the fact I didn't bother to at least say hello to dear Jenny, whom I have not seen for weeks now.

"Why don't you go visit her while I hold down the fort here?" he suggested. "I'm sure the Director misses your hugs." I gave him a quick peck on the cheek in thanks and drove off to her house, ignoring all traffic laws in my haste to get there. I lightly rapped on the door, hoping I'd get a moment alone with her, but was surprised to see Gibbs answer the door.

"What are you doing here?" Gibbs asked. Well, that was a little rude. Maybe he thought that by 'maternity leave' I wouldn't be going out in public, either.

"Thought I'd stop by," I replied with a smile.

"Hello, Abby," Jenny said. The baby was currently starting to drift off to sleep in her arms. She handed it to Gibbs. She stood up to greet me properly. I brought her into the tightest hug I could manage at the moment.

"Congrats on the kid, by the way,"

"Her name is Reilly...I used to have a friend with that name." Her green eyes were sad for a moment, but then she recovered and smiled at me.

"I'll see you later, then," Gibbs said, sensing I was going to be here for a while. I looked at him.

"When can I go back to work?"

"Same time as Jen does." This answer satisfied me, so with that, he put Reilly in her crib and left the house.

"So, what brings you by here?" the redhead asked. "I thought your twins had you all tied up in a knot."

"Well, I heard about what happened here this morning and decided to drop by and see how you were doing."

"Just fine, now that the strange spells are fading and they actually have an explanation," Jenny responded. I smiled and nodded, but this didn't feel right. This wasn't what I had come here for. I didn't want a casual conversation about our lives and where they were at the moment. I thought of my past, with my previous-no present-fear of commitment, of something permenant that might not really remain so for long.

"Timmy and I are finally going to tie the knot," I said at last, having found the right words to say.

"That's great!" Her reaction was excited and pleased; everything I predicted. When she saw I wasn't being cheerful as well, her smile vanished, replaced by concern and confusion.

"Isn't that what you want?"

"Well, yes, but...commitment hasn't been one of my strong points," I admitted, sucking my head in shame. It all sounded stupid now. The Director of NCIS gave me a look.

"Is he worth it?" she asked.

"Yes, but-"

"Do you love him?" she continued.

"Yes, but-"

"Would you be willing to do anything for your marriage if there was a problem?"

"Yes, but-"

"But _what_? There is nothing to worry about!"

"But, what if it's not the happily ever after I wanted?" I asked finally.

"It's not always going to be like the honeymoon phase," she said. "I'm sure McGee is willing to work things out with you along the way." Suddenly, I felt a whole lot better talking to Jenny as a friend rather than a Director. But, she was so much of both it was hard to seperate the two roles.

"So, show me this new power of yours." I said with a mischevious grin on my face.

"Well, it's hard for me to control, but..." She looked doubtful. After a minute, she grinned back and proceeded to levitate the TV remote toward us. I noticed she flicked her hand a certain way in order to do so.

"Well, that could come in handy." I noted. The Director lost concentration, and the remote fell to the floor, halfway across the carpet.

"Yeah, if I could get it right," she muttered, frowning at the uncoopertave piece of technology after a second attempt.

"Ah, well," I said lightly. "Don't be too hard on yourself. I don't even know what my power is, so consider yourself lucky."

"I could break rule twenty-three any time I wanted now." I giggled and headed for the door.

"I'll see you soon," I called to her. "Just let me know when you decide to start up work again at NCIS, and I'm _so_ there."


	27. Chapter 27

**AN: I feel like this story is moving too slowly...does anyone have suggestions? I'm trying to come up with powers for the rest of the team. Here is what we have so far, in case some of you are lost.**

**Jenny- telekenetic(can move objects with her mind)**

**Kate- psychic(can't control when her visions come or what she sees just yet)**

**Tony- ?**

**Ziva- ?**

**Abby- ?**

**McGee- ?**

**I know, Ziva can go wolf, and it hasn't even been used and/or mentioned. Plus, another character we all know and hate has yet to reappear in the story once more. Yes, Eli David. His purpose is still unfinished...**

**So, I have a few issues to iron out. I'd like some help, so in the meantime enjoy this short chapter.**

Abby POV

Being a new parent is exhausting. But rewarding. As my second week on maternity leave turned into my third, I began to see my precious twins growing up a little. Five weeks and already Tabitha was able to follow the motion of my hand quite keenly. Hayley, however, could not. Today was Tuesday, still quite early in the day. I dug out the stroller and decided to see if the Director had come today. I really wanted to work, but if Jenny was not there...

McGee POV

"So, did you do it?" Tony asked me with a grin. He had asked me this question three times in the past week.

"Yes, I asked her," I sighed, staring at my computer screen.

"And?" I glared at him. It's like he didn't know Abby at all.

"She said yes, in case you couldn't tell," I replied cooly. "Don't you have a date with Kate in twenty minutes?" Tony gawped at his watch.

"My watch stopped working!" he exclaimed. "Does anyone know what time it is?"

"Time to go," Gibbs said, entering the bullpen with his customary cup of coffee in hand. "Dead Naval sailor near the docked sub _New Dreams_."

"Who names a sub _New Dreams_?" Tony scoffed as he pulled on his jacket and grabbed his gun. "Sounds like the name of a movie."

"Oh, please do not go there," Ziva groaned.

"You might want to give Kate a call and postpone your date," I advised as he left the bullpen.

"No need," Kate said, appearing from the stairwell. "I had a feeling something was up when you were twenty minutes late." Ziva smirked and stalked to the elevator. I saw a battery fall to the floor, and couldn't help but smile. She had sabatoged his date! The sly woman...Ziva never failed to surprise me. I looked up and saw the Director go into her office, her secretary close behind her. Hmm. Wonder what that could mean. I shrugged and stepped into the elevator with Tony, Kate, and Gibbs. It was probably none of my business.

Kate POV

Well, just great. So I have this power I couldn't even control. What's the fun in that? At the crime scene, I was finding it hard to concentrate. It was getting harder not to black out to this certain...feeling I always get whenever a vision was about to come. The camera shook in my hands. Tony was at my side at once, having sensed my hesitation.

"Looks pretty bad, huh?" he murmured, misinterpreting my strange behavior. The victim-known as Victor Allen Joryce, had apparently swallowed explosive chemicals that reacted from the inside out. All that was left of him was his insides. The muscle, skin, and bones were nowhere to be seen. Ducky had identified him with the wallet sitting amongst the...er...human soup, I guess you'd say.I had no idea for sure if this was our guy but it was all we had to go on at the moment.

"Well, this appears to be a unique case. You mind getting a statement from him?" I pointed at the guy standing next to Gibbs. Tony nodded and went toward him. I sighed, realizing I couldn't hold this off any longer. But, before I could even get into a safe place away from others everything already started fading away. I could see where I was underneath the new image, but my true surroundings were blurry and seemed unreachable. The camera fell out of my hands, but I paid no attention to who caught it or to the voice calling my name over and over.

_An approach, quite quickly, he wants to talk to her but doesn't know what to say and hopes she can trust him enough in order to complete the mission-_

"Kate!" McGee yelled. The vision faded away. "What's wrong? You were suddenly staring into space, and you dropped the camera before even taking any-"

"Someone's coming," I interrupted. "Finish up here for me while I check it out."

"How does she know someone's coming?" McGee asked Gibbs, who had also come over. "I don't see anything." Gibbs didn't say anything, but followed his gaze, a similiar look of confusion on his face. I left them standing there, wondering who was coming, and from where. But as the seconds turned to minutes, and nobody came, I started to head back. Then I saw someone step out of the shadows.

"Caitlin? I...I need to talk to you," Daniel said. I let him lead me away from the crime scene, somehow finding it in myself to trust him.

"I knew you were coming," I told Abby's brother.

"Really?" He seemed eager, on the verge of a new discovery. "It's just as I thought, then. Come on, you're the one with the most developed gift, so you're the only one for the task right now."

"Most developed? I can't exactly control it."

"Not the point right now," Daniel said. He made a sharp turn. I hurried up in an effort to keep up with him.

Abby POV

"Sure, I'm in the office now, why do you ask?"

"No reason..." She sighed, but didn't say anything.

"I just really want to work today," I whined. "I miss my lab and Bert and my Caf-Pow!"

"Just make sure Gibbs doesn't kill you for showing up a week and a half early,"

"Eeep! I can't wait to come in! We should totally go out for lunch and talk about our kids! Oh, and later on, when our kids get older, we should start a daycare or something! Then they could all be good friends, and we'd watch them grow up together-"

"Abby. Breathe."

"Right, sorry! I'm just so excited! I really want you to see my twins. They are soo adorable! Hayley is a little...strange, though. Can't quite tell why, but it's just a hinky sort of feeling, you know? Anyway, I'll be there in ten! Tell Gibbs I said hi!"

I hung up the phone and went off in search of the stroller. Where did I put that thing by the way? Didn't McGee say it was all the way in the back of the closet, where my mom had left it weeks and weeks ago? McGee had yet to move in his stuff with me, but this place was awfully small, so that could wait...the kids would grow up fast, and there weren't enough bedrooms and bathrooms to accomodate four people, let alone two. Hayley was wide awake, along with Tabitha. I set them in the now found double stroller and strapped them in. Tabitha's wide eyes did not follow my movements this time. Perhaps it was my imagination.

I shrugged and went off into my own room in search of...what had I been looking for again? Didn't I already find it? I stood there for a moment, very confused. _Maybe I should just go back into the nursery and act like nothing happened._ But I normally wasn't forgetful like this. I tried to shake it off on the walk to NCIS; I happened to live within ten minutes of the place(driving, anyway) and walking seemed a better alternative with a stroller to drag me down. I also had the baby essentials with me: diapers, bottles, formula, and even a stuffed toy or two.

Upon arriving, I noticed the bullpen was completely empty. Hayley and Tabitha were sleeping. I set up the baby monitor and took the second one of the set with me so I'd know if anything was going on down in my lab. Then I went into Jenny's office, only to find it was empty as well. Reilly was sitting in a stroller of her own, starting to cry a little, but her cries slowly growing in volume. Jenny ran in to calm down the infant.

"Hello, Abby," she said breathlessly once Reilly had been fed and put to sleep. "Sorry you had to come in to all this..."

"Quiet?" I finished for her. "Guess there was a case before I arrived here."

"Well, I have no idea of the details, but yes."

"Where are your twins?" she asked me.

"I'm going to my lab now. I've got the baby monitor with me. I'll see you later." The second I left her office, I wondered why I wanted to go to my lab all of the sudden. Then I realized it had happened again. A sudden rush of exhaustion, followed by forgetfulness. Something was wrong here. I shook it off and kept walking, headed straight for the stairs for some...reason...didn't I want to take the elevator?

Down in my lab, the babies were fine for now. I turned my attention to turning on the lights and machines for the day. There'd be a case later for sure. I gazed at the screen, prepared to type in the password I knew so well...halfway in I had lost my train of thought once again. My head was pounding. I was starting to get tired. _What's wrong with me?_ If only Ducky were here...perhaps I could give him a call. I pulled out my phone and began to dial.

**AN: So, what do you think Abby's power should be, given what she's experiencing right now? Everything's got a purpose...and Eli will return, as promised, eventually.**


	28. Chapter 28

**AN: I have done a little brain storming and finally came up with something for Abby. Nooo, I'm not telling you! It's a surprise for later, trust me. You'll love with what I have for her. It completely fits her personality.**

**BY the way, if it seemed like earlier my update was later than usual...it was because my laptop was having some major problems. But now that I'm home, everything can go back to normal. Well sort of anyway.**

Abby POV

The phone rang. And rang. I was forced to accept the fact that Ducky broke rule three..._Never be unreachable_.

"Great," I muttered, hanging up before the voicemail could start recording. "Now what?"

Kate POV

"What do you need me to do?" I asked. This place was so dark that I couldn't make out anything. I could barely see Daniel just a few feet away from me, and that was only because of the flashlight in his hand.

"I need you to see if you can find out when the leader of the NWO is coming here to Maryland. But in order to do that, first we need to make a quick stop in the computer room where we keep an eye on you guys."

"Like spying?" I asked, feeling a lot less willing to do as he told me now.

"Now, try to see what Eli's next move is. I want to know if he is actually in charge of this NWO thing going on here." I tried to concentrate, but couldn't. Something seemed to be blocking me.

"Try again," Daniel urged me. I tried once more to seek what he wanted, but again nothing happened.

"It's useless," I sighed. "I can't exactly control this yet. Just...give it some time,okay? I need to get back to NCIS. Gibbs will be worried about me." I went back to my car and was last to leave the abandoned crime scene.

_NCIS- Autopsy_

Abby POV

I stepped into autopsy and saw the messy remains of Victor Allen Joyce, but no Ducky. I decided now was not the best time to bother him and just left before he even came in. There was work to do, and I couldn't afford to just leave my twins-and my forensics, unattended for some simple little problem that probably even wasn't a problem at all. I cheerfully went down to my lab and saw all the evidence had been set up for me to go through.

"Thought you could use a little...assistance," McGee murmured. His warm breath tickled my neck. I felt blush creeping up on my cheeks, and I whirled around to kiss him. He pulled back from me just several seconds later, breathing hard, but looking undoubtedly happy.

"Took the kids home to be watched by Kate...Gibbs gave the okay for everything." I nodded, not really paying attention to the words-just his voice.

"Tell her those pictures need to be brought to life. You did say she was good with designing clothes, right?" He took his hands in mine.

"Yes, I did. Let's get started, shall we?" I smiled and let my husband-to-be lead me over to the table.

Ziva POV

"I need you to run a Bolo on the people Victor spoke with in the last few weeks of his life," Gibbs ordered. I looked up at him, then set to work at once. First, I needed to find out where Victor lived. Typing away, I scarecly noticed Tony start to leave until I heard the familiar ding of an elevator.

"Going somewhere?" Tony paused and turned to look at me. I smiled. Nothing every gets by me...

"Kate wanted my help with something. Thought it'd be best if I do as she says and come back before Gibbs-" He spun around, as if expecting Gibbs would show up in that very second.

"Gibbs is down in autopsy at the moment," I told him. "Hurry along before he actually does show and gives you something to do." I continued working as if nothing had happened, even when the elevator closed with Tony inside it. There was work to do, after all, and I couldn't afford to lose my focus.

Abby POV

"...and of course this still has to be analyzed, too, can't forget that," I continued, going around the lab with more frenzied energy than usual. Must have been the last four Caf-Pows in my system, because this was not normal for me. Not that I'd admit it out loud, I'd wait for someone else to say it and pretend I never knew all along...sometimes it's better that way for me.

"Abs," McGee said. I ignored him.

"Did you find any bone, muscle or hair of any kind? Because all that's left of Victor is just his intestines and major organs, and I doubt the rest of him disappeared." I went to the computer and checked to see if there were any finger print matches.

"Abs!" McGee said again, a little louder this time.

"Oh, Major Mass Spec will have to identify what this is too, because I really don't have the slightest clue-"

"Abby!" McGee yelled.

"What!" I shouted, snapping our of my intense focus on the case. I noticed how close he was to me, and stepped back a little.

"Calm down, it's not like Gibbs said we had to get this done overnight or anything like that." I rolled my eyes and went throught the evidence. I found slivers of bone and fragments of muscle.

"Here we are," I murmured. "Looks like I have found our murder weapon. Strange, it all got absorbed in the muscle."

"Ducky was coming by to send a larger sample after Gibbs heard the report," McGee said. "Abby, you have been acting pretty strange today. Is something wrong?"

"Wrong? Why would anything be wrong?" I set down the stuff I was holding, work temporarily forgotten.

"You aren't playing music today," he pointed out.

"The CD player is broken," I reminded him. "You said you were going to fix it the day I got back."

"Look, I know you better than anyone and I am pretty sure there's something going on you aren't telling me about." And, of course, now of all times, it had to happen _again_, much more intensely. I could feel energy draining out of me like someone had pulled the plug. And I could not account for the last few moments of my life, could not concentrate on the conversation like I should be. For new, unfamiliar sensations swirled through me that I knew I should not be feeling. _Concern..._who was feeling concened? I was so confused.

"There is nothing to say, because I don't know what's happening to me!" I told him, trying to act as if nothing had just happened. But McGee was giving me a funny look, and I could feel confusion that felt seperate and different from my own. The multiple sensations proved to be too much, and I felt my knees buckle, the room spin, and I wondered why everything started to tilt sideways...and the next thing I knew, I was half conscious, being carried toward autopsy in McGee's arms.

"...the chemicals were fast acting, so they did not have much time to be disgested," Ducky's voice sounded far away. I couldn't hold on any longer to that edge which kept me awake and alert. So I let go, and fell into sweet velvety blackness.


	29. Chapter 29

_Floating...falling...rising...falling again...wake up...wake up...wake up...you have to wake up, now!_

"Abby, wake up." I knew that voice. The accent was impossible to mistake. But I was so comfortable here. I didn't want to leave. So I settled into the safety of darkness, knowing that the light would surely be the death of everything I knew here.

"Abby..." A hand touched my forehead. Out of shock, my eyes flew open to see Ducky gazing back at me.

"What happened?" I sat up and found my focus was settling back into place.

"I could ask you the same thing," McGee said from somewhere aboe me. That was when I noticed that I was sitting on the tile floor, right where I must have collapsed.

"How long was I out?" I asked. Ducky pulled me to my feet.

"Not that long, darling, just a few minutes," he assured me. "Are you alright?" There it was again. I could recognize the concern that seemed to be coming from some other source other than myself. It felt more...fatherly, and much more distanct.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine. I just need to relax for a minute. I tried to jump back into work too soon, I guess." The concern faded, giving way to relief and calm. Well, that certainly didn't come from McGee, or me, so-my eyes widened as all the pieces of the puzzle came together at once.

"No way, that is just too hinky to be true!" I breathed.

"What?" Ducky and McGee asked at the same time.

"I'm an empath. I can feel other people's emotions."

_Bullpen- at the same time as when McGee carried Abby into autopsy_

Ziva POV

Things were very quiet. I was starting to enjoy some time alone, without Tony there to distract me with his endless movie references and taunts about my...issues with English and idioms. He will never know whether I do it just to annoy him or not. Of course life couldn't just be peaceful at NCIS for this long without me suspecting something was up. So, abandoning my examination on Victor's old college friend Leroy Elsman, I went to the vending machine for a short break.

"Hi, Ziva," Jimmy said, who looked ready to leave with his bag of Doritos. Cool Ranch, by the looks of the bright blue plastic coloring and flavor name half covered by the autopsy gremlin's skinny fingers.

"Have you seen McGee?" I asked him. "He seems to have vanished since we were at the crime scene over an hour ago."

"I saw him take the elevator before Tony did. You must have missed him." Jimmy took another step toward the exit, looking anxious.

"I see you need to get back to work," I observed. "Why don't you sit down for a minute and take a break? I'm not going anywhere right now." Jimmy seemed eager to have someone to talk to.

"Don't you find this case a bit unusual?" he inquired, opening his bag of Doritos.

"I find our whole life here very unusual," I said. "You know I can transform into a wolf, right?" Jimmy's eyes widened partly in shock, and part...surprise? Or maybe it was excitement.

"That is interesting. Care to demonstrate?" Definitely excitement. I closed my eyes and imagined myself: a lone wold in the woods, fur dark as midnight shadows and eyes that glowed like the moon. Sixty seconds later, I found myself to be three feet shorter and on all fours looking up in a world of intense color. Which is strange, considering that wolves supposedly saw everything in black, white, and leached out grays.

"Pretty cool. You make a nice wolf, Ziva," I growled playfuly at him, just as Gibbs came by to throw away his coffee.

"Quit fooling around," Gibbs said. I rolled my eyes and shifted back to human. If he was surprised to have seen me do that, it didn't show very well. But I, being more perceptive than most people cared to ever be, saw his pupils dialate ever so slightly and the slight twitch of the corner of his mouth, the hints of a smirk quietly hidden away.

"Admit it, you are jealous," I said to him. "Not every day you see a wolf turn into an ex-Mossad agent near the vending machines like it were perfectly normal." Gibbs ignored me.

"Gonna need background on that college friend." I sighed and headed back for my desk. It was then that I sensed something was up...McGee hadn't been sighted in the bullpen at all. It might be a good idea to check Abby's lab, then, just in case. It was empty. No Abby, no McGee. An abandoned Caf-Pow! sat on the edge of the desk, in danger of falling over. There was only one other place to check. Autopsy. Maybe they had decided to pay Ducky a visit. I took a step back. Was it my imagination, or did the cup just wobble? I had to save it. Abby wouldn't forgive me if it fell over and I could have stopped it from happening. I moved the cup a few inches back so it wouldn't spill all over the floor.

"Hands off the caffinated beverage and up where I can see them." I turned and was relieved to see Abby grinning rather than glaring at me. McGee appeared at her side. I swear, its like they are joined at the hip sometimes. I spotted a ring on the fourth finger of Abby's left hand, the hint of a never-fading smile appearing on her lips, a loving look in her eyes.

"I see you are engaged," I said to her. Those words caused her to snap out of her playfulness and into full on excited Abby mode.

"I know, I'm so shocked by the size of the diamond!" she squealed. "I can't wait until everything's all set and I finally get to wear the dress I dreamed up a few days ago!"

"I am very happy for you,"

"I know!" she exclaimed. She paused, suddenly realized what she had meant.\

"I do not believe I was showing it," I said in confusion.

"Well, you see, I'm an empath now," she said. Ah, well, life gets more interesting every day now. First Kate becomes psychic, and now Abby can sense other's emotions. What would happen next?

_A street- hours later- unknown POV_

The New World Order was running quite smoothly, and by smoothly...that meant nobody knew it existed. Except for Daniel's little gang of spy friends that practically lived underground in an effort not to be discovered. But he knew exactly where they were located. And soon, he'd find a way to stop them. Perhaps he'd use the last person they'd expect to betray them...someone on the inside. The phone was in his hand. He dialed a number that was long since memorized, long since familiar with overuse.

"I need you to do something for me..." He explained the plan, careful not to miss a single detail. Unfortunately the reaction was not what he had been going for.

"Why should I trust you, when all you have done was cause trouble for everyone? I thought you'd have gone back to your regular thing by now, but I guess I was wrong. Again."

"Please, just do this for me."

"I don't think so. In fact, I don't think we should speak to one another ever again. It has been nice knowing you but lately you've been nothing but a huge thorn in my side. Yes, that's it. Shalom, Father." The line disconnected, and he realized he'd never hear his daughter's voice again. Eli sighed, fighting back the tears that threatened to come. He put the phone away. The only family he had left didn't even want to speak with him.

Family...well, didn't Ziva have something she called 'family' already? That strange collection of people who could never possibly be related without killing one another first? How is _that_ family? Family was flesh and blood, the people you've known your whole life and trusted no matter what. But, maybe...it didn't have to be a matter of whether you ahve always known them or even are related. Maybe family was just people you loved and would do anything for. Eli turned away from the NCIS building. The guards returned to their debate on what movie to see that weekend as if nothing had happened. A light on the bottom floor-no, the basement-was turned off. From this distance, even, Eli could hear faint laughter. Laughter that wasn't his daughter's. He continued walking, trying to remember the last time he had heard his daughter laugh.

Abby POV

"Come on, you silly!" I giggled, watching McGee struggle with his duct tape bonds. Long story. Let's just say...never mess with Abby's Caf-Pow! at all. Ever. I turned off the light as soon as he got free, absently glancing out the window to see someone walking away. I saw a familiar head of silver hair.

"What was Ziva's father doing out here?" I murmured, playful mood forgotten.

"Never you mind, Abby," McGee said, tossing out the duct tape. "Let's just go home. The twins need to be taken care of right now." I nodded and followed him to the elevator. Other things to worry about, other things to do...but that didn't mean other thoughts couldn't linger in the back of my mind, leftover things to examine later. There were many puzzles I've had to solve lately. This was probably the beginning of another, or maybe part of the big picture that was getting difficult to look at. Or it could just be a coincidence. Except I did not believe in such things. I did not notice we were back home until I had opened the door and found Tony and Kate making out on the couch. They broke apart, both looking very surprised to see me in here, as if it were their place rather than mine.

"Okay you two, get a room," I said. "We need to check on the girls and get ready for bed...I'll hire a babysitter tomorrow so you guys won't have to miss anything else on the case." They both quickly left the apartment, eager to get out. I could sense a mingle of embarrasment and anticipation. Well, I wouldn't hold this against them. Not for long, anyway. Just long enough to make them squirm. I had to have my fun at least.

"The girls are fine," McGee said from the makeshift nursery in the only other bedroom in my apartment. "So, you're really an empath, huh?"

"I think it's pretty weird too, so you're not alone in that." I laughed. He just smiled at me.

"Guess who's turn it is to get kidnapped now," he murmured seductively. I let him leap on top of me. We both tumbled to the floor. He attacked me with one of his fiercest kisses ever; it left me breathless and anticipating something more.

"Shouldn't we...be in the...bedroom for this?" I gasped inbetween kisses. McGee pulled me up, his mouth still firmly on mine. I could sense we were both only half dressed. I barely remembered the bed and what happened afterward, only the sensation of being loved more intensely than in my entire life.

"I love you, Abby," he said.

"I love you too..." I was starting to get sleepy. It had been such a long day, what with coming into work for the first time in a while and the new case. I heard faint crying from the nursery down the hall.

"Your turn," I grumbled, flipping onto my side so I could get some sleep. McGee got dressed and left the room.

_Meanwhile..._

Jenny POV

"Reilly's a month old," Gibbs stated.

"Yes," I said, wondering if the conversation was going to move past the child and onto...other things. "I'd best be going, Jethro." Reilly stirred slightly in my arms, but she was a heavy sleeper, so I didn't worry. I stepped into the elevator. Gibbs got in with me.

"Been busy lately," Gibbs said. I seriously he had a point with this.

"It happens," I replied with a small shrug, reaching past him to press the button for the ground floor.

"Should pay more attention to you, the kid, us," he continued as the elevator started to move down.

"Not your fault, Jethro," I murmured. "Life gets in the way." He gave me a look...I knew that look. He had something in mind.

"Jen, I can't take you being so far away from me..." I was about to point out we were closer than ever, but knew exactly what he meant.

"Want to move into my place?" I was stunned. Did he really want this? Was he joking? But, of course, the great Leroy Jethro Gibbs never was kidding about anything. So, I said the one thing that would make sense.

"I'd love to."


	30. Chapter 30

**AN: Okay! So, its that time for another author's note again...because I feel like talking to you guys!**

**Anyway. There is a lack of reviews here, but I'm pretty sure that means there's a delay in response or something. Surprised by Abby's power? Or maybe not...I tried not to be too obvious with the foreshadowing. But you perceptive folks out there probably put the pieces together. So, this is what we've got so far:**

**Jenny- telekenetic**

**Kate- psychic**

**Abby- empath**

**Tony- ?**

**McGee- ?**

**Ziva- ?**

**Who should be next to get an AMAZING ability, and when? What should it be? I'd looove to hear suggestions, even if it's something dumb, like magnetism. Actually that would be pretty cool but you get my point, right?**

**By the way, I haven't forgotten about my Darkest Demon series, to those who have been avidly following it the way dedicated fanfiction readers do at times. I can only do so much at once, I may be amazing but I'm not God. Or Gibbs. Or anyone resembling him. But if I could have the gut of Gibbs, that would be SO awesome! It would also be great if I could just take Abby home with me...she's THAT AWESOME! She'd totally be my best friend to have sleep overs with. Ziva's cool too, but she's...ehh, how do I say this, gaurded? I guess that is the point of her. She is not an emotional person. BY the way I took an NCIS quiz and it said I'm most like Ziva. I highly doubt that. But I could never be like Abby or Jenny, so that WAS the only option left. But if I stopped caring about what others thought of me I would definitely be more like Abby.**

**Anyways enough rambling from me, there's a story to be finished here! Can you believe this is Chapter 30 already? Only back in February I came up with the idea for this story. I think it was around the time I saw Kill Ari Part 1. Seeing Abby all sad about Kate made me sad too...so I guess one thing lead to another and here we are, over 44 thousand words of awesomeness by me permanently on the Internet. Yup. That does not sound strange at all.**

_Interrogation room 12- 0900. Scheduled Agent: Ziva_

_(The next day)_

McGee POV

"I looked over some of those drawings," Kate said, handing me and Tony a coffee each and going back to the machine to get herself some.

"Cool, think you can do something with them?" I asked, taking a sip of the fresh coffee. Kate rolled her eyes, but smiled a little.

"My aunt didn't pay me for several summers in my childhood just so I could _fail_ at design," was all she said in response. We were currently in observation waiting for Ziva to question Victor's college friend Leory on how he knew about the murder. Leroy looked a little jumpy, but it wasn't nothing I haven't seen before, so he wasn't all that exciting to watch. His features were vaguely Greek; he had the typical olive toned skin, jaw alingment, and dark eyes that the Greeks could sometimes be known for. I drank more coffee, starting to get a little bored.

"So, can't hide anything from your fiancee now, huh?" Tony teased, taking several sips of his coffee. Mine was half empty already.

"You could say that," I replied easily.

"Was told that Abby can detect a lie from anyone at her own will," he boasted.

"She's an empath, not a lie detecter,"

"I'm not a genius, McDictionary. Tell me what it means."

"It _means_...that Abby can detect emotions from others." At that moment, the door to the interrogation room opened. Ziva walked in and plunked herself down into the chair.

"Alright, we both know why you're here, so let's cut to the chase and have you tell me everything you know about the murder," Ziva started. "Don't worry..." At this she took out her knife and casually ran it across her fingers. "You have nothing to fear, if..." She stabbed it into the table. Leroy jumped a little, "you have nothing to hide."

"Damn, she's good," Kate whispered. I nodded and took another sip of coffee. Watching Ziva interrogate people was exciting. "I see why Director Shepard hired her now."

"Like you didn't before?" Tony snorted.

"Two words." He looked at me. "Phone sex." At this he didn't say a word for a whole two seconds. Kate and Ziva exchanged a glance. Kate looked confused, but Ziva seemed to understand completely what I meant. I turned back to the interrogation. Leroy was pulling himself back together.

"I overheard a phone conversation, and managed to record it through my iPhone using a new App I downloaded. This will have the information you're looking for."

"Well, that was no fun," I said.

"Phone sex?" Kate asked.

"You tell her," I said to Tony, smirking.

"Well then, McGoodMemory," he grumbled. He told Kate of when he had first met Ziva. I listened even though I had heard it all before. Ziva left the interrogation room just after telling Leroy he was free to go.

"...and then she gave me this look, like I was insane or something. Typical, how she'd walk in when I was thinking of you, Kate." At this, Ziva walked in.

"I see I was greatly missed," Kate said. "Well, that's all over now, and I've got a second chance! Who wants to see if I can use my new power to predict when Gibbs will catch us not working?"

"I'm up for the challenge," I spoke up, grinning at her.

_Abby's lab- 0915_

Abby POV

"Plus, you know that means the chemicals were nitrus and sulfuric acid, which are highly reactive, don't know what this guy was thinking, Gibbs," I concluded.

"Some people are just insane," Gibbs said. A Caf-Pow materialized in my hand. I smiled at him. "Good work, Abs,"

"Aw, you spoil me, Gibbs!" I said. He just shook his head and left the lab. Hm. All alone. The CD player was broken...I could use that iHome I got for Christmas two years ago. As I made my way over to where I kept said unused piece of technology, I sensed an approach behind me. Wasting no time, I spun on my heel and faced whoever was coming and discovered it to be...

"What are _you_ doing here?"

Tony POV

After interrogation went so well, I decided to treat myself to an early morning break. On my way to the vending machines, I thought I saw someone slip into the elevator just before it slid shut. That looked suspicious...

"What're you doing?" Kate asked.

"Hold on a sec, Kat-ee...gonna check this out."

"Um, hello? Psychic here. Think I can help."

"Where is that elevator going?" There was a brief moment of silence. Kate struggled to focus; her eyes alternated between vacant and aware for several minutes.

"Abby's lab...don't worry, she'll be fine. I think I'm getting the hang of this."

"Didn't take as long as usual," I observed.

"That's because it was very simple information." Ah, Kate. Modest as always. She could never be a boaster like me. If I ever got an amazing power, I'd be showing off every second I could. I looked up and saw Director Shepard running down the stairs. I wondered what she was in a rush for. It was only Wednesday, right? Or was today Thursday?

"Crap, I left something in the oven!" Jenny yelled. Gibbs looked up from his desk. "Watch Reilly for me!" She ran to the stairs: a blur of navy blue, black, and red. Feeling curious all the sudden, I followed the redheaded Director.

"Let him go, I trust him," I heard Kate say. Then I was focused on keeping hidden, and my curiousity became even more intense when in the car lot I noticed the Director's new shiny car. She stopped suddenly, having dropped her keys. I bent down and picked them up for her.

"Dinozzo," she murmured, as if this were a dream instead of full on reality. "Why did you follow me?" I shrugged. Did I have to have a reason? No. It's in the Dinozzo code to act and not think. Thinking just complicates things.

"Well...thank you. I'm not sure why you are here, but you could be of some help to me."

"Ask not what I can do for you, but what you can do for your country," I quoted, before realizing I probably had gotten that mixed up. I internally cursed the 'no thinking' rule and climbed into Jenny's awesome-I mean, well paid for, vehicle.

**AN: Originally I was going to continue but I have a little quiz for you readers which must be answered through reviews.**

**Regarding Tony's power, what do you think it ought to be?**

**a. Magnetism. It's only obvious!**

**b. PUH-lease! Tony is too awesome for a power, just like Gibbs! (If you pick this answer, I swear I'll sic Ziva and her paperclips on all of you)**

**c. The power of looove-no I'm just kidding! He should be able to control FIRE! (That one is for you pyromaniacs out there...I know you people still exist!)**

**d. As an opposite, the power to control water in all forms and phases.**

**Cast your votes, and I'll base it off of the first 10 votes! So, at least ten reviews for this chapter please. Actually I think it would be a record for me...so, LET'S DO IT!**

**Abby hugs to all who reveiw!**


	31. Chapter 31

**So, this is where we are as far as the voting goes...**

**Magnetism- 0 votes**

**no power- 1 vote**

**control fire- 1 vote**

**control ice- 1 vote**

**Come on! Eight more votes! You can do it! After that we only have two more people to figure out. Now for a good Tony/ Director friendship moment...**

Tony POV

"Nice wheels, Director," I commented as we sped along the highway to her house. Jenny shook her head and laughed a little.

"While we're out of the office, it's Jenny," was all she said as she turned us into her neighborhood. I let my thoughts drift to Kate. How things have really changed. Almost a year ago we were grieving her death and now here she stood, alive as ever. A lot can change in a year. One can get older, a child can be born, and the earth will turn as it always does, into a new season, because no matter what time never stops. I was glad that Abby had been able to hear Kate the way she did...I was able to reveal his feelings for Kate, even if her time had already run out. Or had it? According to Abby, she died much sooner than she should have.

"We are here," Jenny announced, turning the key and climbing out.

"So, what do you need help with?" I called as I went into her house. I stepped inside but she wasn't in the living room. I found her in the kitchen checking on a fresh batch of cookies. They looked completely burnt.

"Looks like I'll have to start from scratch..." she muttered, dumping out the burnt treats into the trashcan. I went to get the flour.

"How much flour do you use for this recipe?" I asked, examining the cookbook. All the sudden white powder rained down on my head. I spun around to see the Director smirking at me. Her hands were white with flour.

"What happened to the joking Tony?" she said. I responded by throwing some sugar in her face.

Gibbs POV

I decided to go and take Reilly home for her nap. I went into the living room. Some of my stuff had been moved in overnight, but I still needed a place for my construction. I was building a bed for Reilly. For when she got older and no longer needed a crib. Everything here looked normal...I heard Jen laughing in the kitchen.

"Why don't we just bake you in the oven instead?" More laughter. I put Reilly down for a nap. She fussed a little, but soon was asleep. I heard some repressed laughter, distinctly male. Tony. I knew this couldn't be good.

"Well, at least the cookies are in the oven now, right, Jenny?" Sounds like things were getting a little too friendly in there.

"I'll have to buy more flour now...let's get cleaned up before Gibbs sees us like-" I walked in before she could finish her sentence. Underneath the dusted layer of white flour I could see her face turning bright red. Tony just grinned, thinking that the game was still going on. They were both covered in flour from head to toe.

"Do I wanna know?"

"Probably not, Boss...I'll get cleaned up then get back to working on the case like you asked." I took a step forward and recognized the crunch of sugar underfoot. Tony and Jen left the kitchen. I blinked, and for a minute could see Kelly standing there, her hands and face covered in flour.

_"Daddy, let's make cookies!"_

_"Alright, since you're already covered in flour."_

_"Come on, Mommy wants to taste them!"_

"Thinking about her again?" I turned to see Jenny standing there, in another outfit and no longer coated in flour.

"Kelly was probably a sweet child, but we can make new memories with Reilly." I nodded and went to where we kept Reilly's crib. I stared at her. She was likely to be a redhead, according to the wispy red hairs beginning to grow. Jen came in and wrapped her arms around my waist.

"Jethro, don't you see? Reilly will feel second best if you compare her to Kelly. Let her go...she's the past now." Some ghosts just don't want to leave. Some just want to make sure they were never forgotten. But, maybe she was right. Life moved on. But I _had_ moved on, years ago.

"Jen, the second I saw you, they didn't matter as much anymore. I love you." She twisted me around so that I was facing her.

"As do I," she murmured. "I'll have Cynthia watch Reilly...let's get back to work."

Abby POV

I was currently taking a break, flirting with Timmy in the bullpen as usual. Tony walked in, but something was wrong...he just stood there staring into space.

"What is wrong?" Ziva asked him.

"I...uh...I..." Tony stuttered. He was shaking. Kate looked up. I could feel her concern from all the way over here. Tony rarely acted like this. Tony ran off, hands over his face like something pained him.

"That was weird," McGee commented.

"No kidding," I muttered. "So, anyway, are you going to have us still live in my apartment, or are we moving into a bigger place?"

"No idea, Abs...I think we should just finish up with this case before worrying about that."

"Kate?" Ziva waved her hand in front of Kate's face. She didn't respond. She snapped out of it a second later.

"Think I should check on Tony," Kate said. She left the bullpen in the direction Tony had gone. I shrugged and turned to face Timmy again.

"Well, see you later!" I called to him, skipping off to the stairwell.

Tony POV

I don't ever get like this. I felt so feverish and shaky. What the hell was going on with me? My stomach churned and I crawled into the nearest stall to throw up. The door swung open. Someone with high heels walked toward where I was slumped over, stomach empty now. Someone pulled me up, and I recognized the familiar scent of jasmine prefume. Dark eyes, dark hair, kind smile, concern-

"Kate," I breathed. "What are you doing here?"

"Let me take you home, Tony. You look terrible." I let her drag me out, but little by little the fever symptoms faded, until I was standing on my own by the elevator.

"Acutally, I feel fine now," I said. She gave me a suspicious glance.

"No, really...it was probably just food poisoning."

"If I find out you are pregnant or something equally stupid-" she started. I waved my hand down to cut her off, while at the same time holding in laughter. Pregnant. Really? Of all the things she could have said...

"Just give me a sec to clean up and I'll be good as new," I assured her. But as I walked away, I couldn't help but feel a little worried about what had just happened. How could I feel so sick then suddenly get better, all within a minute or two? Ziva's dark eyes followed my movements. I could tell she thought something was up. Unfortunately, I couldn't tell her, because I had no idea. As I left the bullpen a second time, I heard the ding of an elevator.

"I have the recorded conversation from Leroy," I heard Ziva say. I managed to vanish without being noticed by Gibbs. Or at least I don't think he noticed me. I found some breathmints, hastily chewed them up, spit them out. Once my breath felt reasonably fresh, I went back into the bullpen. Gibbs glanced at me. I knew that he also was wondering why I was acting so weird.

_"...to bring that over..."_

_"Shh! Shut up, you want the whole street to know?"_

_"Well-"_

_"You know why we have to pull this little stunt. So just do it and we are through talking to one another."_

"It's not much to go on," Kate said.

"Trace it, ID those voices, and find out why they killed him," Gibbs ordered. I sat down at my desk and tried to act casual. Unfortunately, that was impossible, since almost the whole building knew something was wrong with me...if only I knew what that was. But for the remainder of the morning nothing else happened, so I just decided to forget about it. After lunch I went to go visit Abby. The second the elevator doors closed, it happened again. And Gibbs was in here with me. My knees shook, but I tried to hide it.

"Dinozzo, you okay?" I shook my head. Sweat rolled down my forehead.

"I just need to get out of here," I whispered. I felt like I was going to throw up. Again. It was a relief when the elevator doors finally slid open. Abby's lab was around the corner. I ran in and threw up into the trashcan by the door. Abby stared at me. She was shocked to see me like this. Well, anyone would be.

"Think you need to go home," Gibbs said.

"No, boss, I'll be fine in a minute," I mumbled, wiping my mouth. Why did this have to happen, now, of all times? I felt so hot. Then, just as quickly, I felt cool again. Gibbs felt my forehead. He gave me a strange look and stepped back.

"Just go see Ducky real quick." I nodded and left the lab. I was about to go to the elevator when I heard Abby and Gibbs talking.

"What's wrong with him, Gibbs?" Abby sounded really worried.

"Don't know. Tony doesn't seem to either."

"I wonder if he's going to be okay..."

"Second I felt him he didn't even have a fever."

"Do you think he's about to get a power?"

"Maybe. As long as its not something annoying."

I stepped into the elevator, breathing very hard. Could this be true? Could I be about to inheret some amazing ability?


	32. Chapter 32

Gibbs POV- two days later

Life around here was crazy. Well, crazier than usual. Abby, Kate and Ziva alternated between wedding plans, searching for a new place for Abby to live, and working on the case. Tony and McGee took care of catering and finding a ring bearer on short notice.

"Jethro..." I knew that tone of voice. Jen needed me to take care of Reilly. Again. Babies were exhausting. I sighed, just wanting a break. But it was Friday, midmorning, so that dream was perhaps twelve hours or more away from becoming reality. As I headed for the stairs I saw Tony bend over the trashcan and throw up into it. This had been going on with no possible explanation, and it seemed the episodes were lasting longer by the day. And they were happening more often. Kate flitted to his side, the concerned lover as always. They made an interesting pair. Ziva noticed I was watching them. I tore my gaze away from the scene and continued up the stairs.

Abby POV

I was exhausted. All this work, and we have gotten nowhere. On anything...I put my head on McGee's shoulder. The twins had kept me up all night for the second night in a row. I was running on Caf-Pow energy, but even that wasn't helping. So I was running on empty. Momentarily, I drifted off.

"Abby...wake up."

"Mmmph," I grumbled. Someone shook me a little. I blearily opened my eyes. McGee was no longer at his desk. Ziva was standing there in front of me.

"What?" I growled, feeling even more tired than I had a few minutes ago.

"We have work to do."

"I know! Why do you think I'm exhausted?" I yelled, stomping off to my lab. As soon as I was in there, I sat in the chair and put my head down on the desk, intending to take a short nap.

Kate POV

_A shadow blocking the light in the doorway. Abby is fast asleep and dragged out..._

"Abby's in trouble," I blurted, snapping back to reality.

"Yeah, she is if she doesn't get working," McGee said, sitting down at his desk.

"But she is the favorite, so why does it matter?" Tony whined.

"No, I mean real trouble." At this, I was actually taken seriously. Tony leapt up from his chair and followed me into her lab. The window was smashed. Abby was gone...he and I exhanged a glance. I was too late. Anger pulsed through my veins.

"It's all your fault!" I shouted, shoving Tony into the broken glass. He stumbled, but did not fall. "If only you would have taken me seriously, this wouldn't have happened! I'd have gotten there sooner! It's...your...fault!" I realized that I was crying now. Tony pulled me toward him.

"We'll find her," he promised. "She can't have gone far."

Daniel POV

Eli was unconscious on the ground, his face covered in blood from where I had punched him in the face with all the strength I possessed, which surprisingly is quite a lot. Abby was still unconscious...no, she was sleeping. Why was she asleep? I took a closer look and saw dark circles under her eyes. Eli stirred slightly. I kicked him, and he moaned in pain. I had to get Abby back to NCIS before people noticed she was gone. As I started to walk off to get backup, something grabbed my ankle. I fell to the ground, very hard.

"You aren't getting away with this!" Eli growled. I heard the click of a gun. Well, crap. Master had told me not to let this happen. It wasn't supposed to get dangerous.

"I killed Phelps, you know." I tried to be upset, but all I felt was impossible anger. Couldn't this guy just go off and stupidly get himself killed like the others did? I got to my feet, ready to fight to the death, but then realized that Eli was more powerful than I thought. A bolt of lightning struck me in the chest...I went flying back...and then there was nothing.

**AN: Yup, that was impossibly short, but I am still waiting for votes. Here is the status so far:**

**magnetism- 0**

**fire- 1**

**ice- 0**

**none- 1**

**Eight more votes...**

**Review if you want Tony to have one of these awesome abilites(or nothing at all...but then his attacks would have to have a new weird explanation and that would be so hard for me)**


	33. Chapter 33

**AN: Has anyone figured out the connection between Victor and 'Phelps' yet? Hello?**

**Voting status:**

**magnetism- 0**

**fire- 2**

**ice- 0**

**no power- 1**

**Umm seven votes left, but that doesn't mean someone ELSE can't get a power in the meantime... ;)**

**So, I'm glad for all the reviews. Not including Tony, there are still two more people to gain their abilities before the REAL action can start. Sorry, but its important. You will see in upcoming chapters. Yeah I know...there's MORE? This will probably end up being my longest story yet. And it is unlikely that there will be a sequel. I wasn't planning on one. But if the end makes the story look incomplete and I have people begging for said sequel I can happily oblige.**

**The other night, I was bored and decided to write a oneshot involving Tim and Abby. It ended up being very dark and seemed to require more than a T rating. BUT it has a happy-ish ending so I think its worth reading. Check my profile and you will find it.**

**Well it seems I've taken up enough of your time with endless rambling, but don't you think the topic was important?**

**Aaand, we now return to your scheduled program...**

Gibbs POV

I returned to the bullpen to find an unusually focused Tony and Kate working away. Ziva and McGee were behaving normally. Only one team member left to check on, and I'd feel fine. I started off for Abby's lab.

"You got a location on Abby?" I heard Tony ask.

"Nothing yet," Kate replied. I ran off for Abby's lab, hoping to find answers there. Unfortunately, other than a broken window and glass all over the floor, nothing appeared out of the ordinary. How would someone have gotten up to the window and still manage to drag Abby out of here? They'd have to be strong, and not entirely human. Not entirely human. That was it. I went back into the bullpen to find Ziva but she was gone.

"Where's Ziva?" I barked at Tim.

"Coffee run, boss," he replied promptly just as she came back in with a cup of coffee.

"Your father, he is no longer what you'd call human, correct?" I interrogated the second she was sitting down.

"In a number of respects, yes," Ziva said in her normally calm manner.

"Little more specific, Ziva, not much time here."

"He has...abilities like us, due to his endless experiments."

"Expand," I said as she took a sip of her coffee.

"He can control the weather, track any one of us at will, and was somehow able to contact Alistair."

"Boss," Tony called. "I have information on Victor,"

"Go," I said.

"He worked with Abby's brother Daniel and for some guy they called 'Master' and his code name was Phelps. It is in a warehouse close to our last crime scene." Tony still looked very pale from earlier, but it seemed he was doing his best to hide it.

"Alright, David, you're with McGee on this one," I ordered. They both geared up to leave.

Daniel POV

How unsurprising it was for me to wake up tied in rough, scratchy ropes, and duct tape over my mouth. Abby was a few feet away from me in the windowless room. She was bound the same way. Her green eyes were wide with fright; I wactched as they darted all around, looking for an escape.

Just then, the door opened, revealing the one man I hoped would already be dead: Eli David. I had just about all the information I could on him in the computer room, where I spend most of my time at work. Such a shame Phelps had to die. He was really great with computers...

"I bet you all are wondering why you're here," Eli said, a smug expression on his face. I wanted to punch him so badly. Unfortunately, since that didn't work the first time, I'd have to come up with a new plan. I gave him the most bored expression in the world to signify I didn't really care why I was here.

"Surely, you'd want to witness...replacements." At this, Abby and I exchanged a glance. Now he had my attention.

"I'll be needing some DNA samples, of course." Eli yanked out a few hairs from both my and Abby's head. Abby winced, but did not cry out. Then he took out a scalpel and a vial. Great. A blood sample. After collecting a few drops of blood from each of us, Abby wriggled free and pulled off the duct tape. I noticed she was holding a knife. She cut me free and removed the tape covering my mouth.

"Alright, I found I way out through here," Abby whispered, pointing at the vent high above us. "If I stand on your shoulders I can crawl through and find a way to open the door from the outside. I walked over to the door, examining it closely. I turned the knob. The door opened.

"Or you can do that," I said. Abby glared at me.

Tony POV

"You okay?" Kate asked softly.

"Feels hot," I mumbled. Kate felt my forehead and leapt back with a squeal of shock.

"You're burning up!" she breathed. "Go see Ducky, right now!" I stood up but felt incredibly dizzy and nearly fell over. I was shaky all over, something that I knew was unusual for a fever. I felt like I was either going to collapse or throw up.

"Let me help you...oh look, there's Ducky right now." I looked up to see the ME wandering into the bullpen.

"Anthony, you don't look well," Ducky said with a small frown on his face.

"W-Where's the f-f-fire?" I said, for that was how hot I felt. I felt like throwing up, but I knew my stomach was empty. _Something_ was boiling inside me, though what, I could not tell.

"I'll take you down to autopsy to take your temperature." I barely remembered the elevator ride. I was completely out of it. Ducky led me to a chair, which I gratefully collapsed in at once. A thermometer was shoved into my mouth and under my tongue.

"How long have you been feeling like this?"

"Past couple days...it came in waves...this is the longest it's lasted." I groaned, trying to stay still despite the senseless tremors causing my body to shake.

"So this was not a regular thing?" Ducky asked. I shook my head. He tried to take the thermometer out of my mouth, but strangely enough, it stuck there, as if parts of the plastic had melted.

"Why is there no reading?" Ducky murmured when he finally puled it out, leaving my tongue throbbing painfully. "It appears to have...melted..." He showed me the ruined device.

"I don't understand..." He went off to another room, a puzzled look on his face I did not see very often. Slowly, ever so slowly, the heat faded, and by the time Ducky came back I felt remarkably cool again. He blinked in shock when he saw me standing around like nothing had happened.

"You should be sitting down."

"I feel fine." Ducky felt my forehead. I could see an even more shocked, yet confused expression, than the one before. He nodded, signaling the OK for me to leave autopsy at last. _This is too weird to be just a coincidence...could that melted thermometer have anything to do with these strange attacks?_ I thought maybe Abby would know, but then remembered that she was still missing. Oh yeah. I probably should be doing something to help find her. Back in the bullpen, I had to reassure Kate and Ziva five or six times that I really was fine and ready to go back to work on the case.

Abby POV

Turns out, the place we were held was just another room in the area Daniel said he worked. I had no idea this was where he kept an eye on all of us and our mysterious developing powers. Then again, I also had no idea this orginazation even existed.

"I know a way out that only the Master uses," Daniel whispered.

"Wait," I said. "Shouldn't we stop Eli from trying to clone us?"

"We should focus on escaping!" Daniel exclaimed. "We could get killed in here, just like Phelps did."

"Who's that?" I murmured.

"Don't know his real name. Now, come on, let's go." I had a bad feeling about the cloning Eli was doing. So, rather than listen to my brother, I took off down twisting hallways in almost complete darkness. I finally found a room filled with strange machines that were putting together two human beings that looked a whole lot like me and Daniel...I ran in and used anything I could to destroy them. My efforts were futile, however. Then I spotten a Caf-Pow! sitting unattended off to the side. I smiled and dumped the liquid all over the machines. They sputtered and sparked, threatening to explode. Eli ran in and stared in shock at the mess I had created.

"Never underestimate the power of Caf-Pow!" I said, grinning at him.

"What have you done?" Eli exclaimed, finding his voice at last. I shoved the cup at his chest and left the room in search of the exit, running into Daniel in the process.

"Where have you been?" he hissed.

"Had a little business to take care of." There was a loud explosion from the room I had just left. I twisted around to see a fire beginning to spread.

"Let's go!" Daniel shouted. All I could think as we ran along was, _I had no idea Caf-Pow! could do that..._


	34. Chapter 34

Director Jenny POV

I was just practicing lifting a coffee cup with my mind when I heard it: the distinct sound of a faint knock at the door of my office. My concentration broken, the cup fell to the floor and spilled all over my nice carpet. Darn, I just got this carpet replaced, too!

"Come in," I called as I began to clean the mess up. Quiet footsteps tread over the carpet. I recognized clunky black boots and long, pale legs. My eyes travelled upward to see Abby standing over me. She had burn marks on her clothes and a healing cut on her arm, but otherwise looked unharmed. Another figure stood in the doorway. I got to my feet, coffee spill forgotten.

"Hello, Abby," I said uncertainly. "What is it you need?"

"Have you seen Gibbs?"

"Ah, I have not, but I'm sure we can find him."

Ziva POV

Upon arriving at the place Daniel worked, McGee and I were shocked to discover the whole place had gone up in flames not two hours ago.

"Let's find out what happened," Tim suggested, getting out of the car and heading to the burnt carcass of the building. I followed him closely, being careful to make sure my SIG was at the ready in case anything happened. We moved through the area, but could find nothing except melted a melted plastic cup and destroyed machines. Tim already had his white gloves on. He picked up the cup and examined it closely.

"I know what this is," he said suddenly.

"What?"

"It's a Caf-Pow! You know who drinks those, right?"

"And Abby went missing...do you think...?" McGee shook his head very hard.

"No, she can't be dead, Kate would've said something." I had forgotten about Kate's psychic powers. At this, McGee's phone vibrated. He cursed and answered it.

"Yeah...what is it, boss? No, the place is burned down, nothing left here. Alright, be right there." I gave him a questioning glance.

"What was that about?"

"Abby's back."

"At NCIS?" I asked in disbelief. When did this happen?

"It appears so, Ziva. Let's go."

Tony POV

"How'd you get here?" I asked Abby as Gibbs hung up the phone.

"It's a long story..." She glanced behind her. A man appeared at the top of the stairs with Director Shepard close behind him. I recognized him to be Abby's brother, Daniel, who so happened to be covered in ashes and burn marks.

"Abby, you might want to get the window replaced in your lab," Kate said unexpectedly.

"Why?" Abby questioned, a suspicious look on her face.

"It's broken, duh," I said to her. Daniel came downstairs and hugged Abby tightly.

"Hey, you okay, sis?" Abby nodded and smiled at him. Of course, that was when something inside me decided to give me yet _another_ one of those heat attacks like from earlier today. I stood up and quickly got into the elevator. Kate's dark eyes followed me carefully. She was worried. On the ride down to wherever the elevator would lead me, I tried to take deep, slow breaths in order to slow my heart rate, with minimal success. I slumped over, feeling completely drained, yet hyper aware of everything at the same time.

Unable to take it any longer, I got out the first time the elevator opened and ran out, wondering why I was so hot all of the sudden. The nausea feeling started to come back, and it took all of my self control _not_ to upchuck my turkey sub from lunch. I stumbled through a half open door and found myself in the men's bathroom. My phone rang.

"Special Agent Dinozzo," I droned.

"Where are you?" Gibbs barked.

"Never left the building, boss. Just left to clear my head."

"Well, get clear and get back to work." Such sympathy.

"I'll be back soon, b-boss," I stuttered, the tremors making it hard to talk now.

"You alright?"

"Don't know..." Gibbs sighed and hung up on me. The heat settled itself somewhere in the center. Did I even have a center? But suddenly, as this happened, I felt oddly calm, like I knew what to do. I twisted my wrist ever so slightly, and...

**AN: Ooooh! Totally got you, didn't I? We are now moments away from revealing what Tony's mystical power is!**


	35. Chapter 35

**AN: Haha, so sorry about that cliff hanger, I just could NOT resist. Anyway, on with the epic adventure of our wonderful NCIS agents.**

**Disclaimer: umm I have been forgetting this but at this point you readers know NCIS is not mine, otherwise there'd be more McAbby, Tiva, and Jenny would not be dead. And Vance can just goo awaaay...**

_**The next day**_

McGee POV

Abby ran into the bullpen, squealing with excitment. Well, at least someone had a good start to their day.

"Guess what, Timmy?" Abby squealed, bouncing up and down with more energy than usual.

"What?"

"I found us a new place to live in!" She shoved the photo in my face. "Look, I have the address, and since we have the day off, I want to show it to you!"

"We have the day off?" I asked. Somehow, this was the part that got most of my attention.

"Yes, now come on!" I was yanked out of my chair and pulled toward the elevator, but before she could so much as press a button, Tony came surging out of there, a shocked expression on his face.

"Guess what?" _Really? More news?_ I sighed and turned to look at him. Abby tapped her foot against the carpet, growing impatient.

"I'm kind of in a hurry, Tony...can't this please wait?"

"Ah, out with your girlfriend, I see McInLove," Tony teased, the usual light of humor returning to his bright eyes. Abby huffed a sigh and continued dragging me along to the car lot, where her shiny red car awaited its next journey. I climbed into the vehicle without a single complaint. Sometimes there was just no arguing with Abby...but I loved her anyway, annoying parts and all. The annoying bits just made her even more lovable. The drive was only ten minutes, even with Abby following all the traffic laws, something we had in common much of the time. Finally, the red hotrod came to a sudden halt, snapping me out of my reverie.

"We're here!" Abby sang out. In front of us was a medium-sized brick house with a neatly cut lawn. As I got out, I could smell the fresh cut grass and scents of a lovely garden from the yard next door.

"Are you sure this is where you want to live?" I asked uncertainly. It looked too...manicured here for Abby's style.

"Wait until you see the inside."

Jenny POV

It was hard to believe that Abby had walked from a fire that she started-almost completely uncathed. Daniel gave me an accurate recount of what had happened within the past forty-eight hours.

"How did the fire start?" I asked him.

"No idea," he replied. "She never told me...but I did see her skirt was a little stained with something."

"Coffee?" I guessed.

"No way. Abby's a Caf-Pow! fan, you know that...hold on! I remember seeing a cup of that stuff in the room where Eli was trying to make clones of us. Maybe she used that to destroy the machines and it started a fire."

"It would make sense," I mused, "but what is this you said about clones?"

"Eli did not go into detail, but I assure you we at least slowed him down in his plans."

"Very good," I said. "We should find out what Eli's next move is as soon as possible. See if you can find any inside information on what's going on." Daniel nodded, his eyes sparked with confidence. It seemed that going undercover was his specialty. All of the sudden, there was a shriek from downstairs. Daniel gave me a look of horror then ran out to see what the commotion was. I followed him, and saw Tony standing near Kate with a melted stapler in one hand and a mangled box of staplers in the other, as if it had been burnt to a crisp. Kate was staring at Tony like he had done something as horrifying as killing someone and ripping them apart limb from limb.

"What's going on here?" I shouted, going into Director mode as soon as the shock had worn off. Tony dropped the items in his hands and stood at attention. Kate seemed unable to move or speak.

"Maybe I should've...put it down first before I tried that," Tony said. He turned to look at me. "Diector, I'm not sure how to explain this, but maybe if I just showed you, it would make a whole lot more sense-"

"So show me, then," I snapped, not in the mood for riddles. Tony took in a shaky breath and snapped his fingers. Instantly, a small flame appeared in his now outstretched hand.

"Guess we found out the cause of my weird illness," he said in an oddly serious tone. The flame vanished when he put his hand down. Daniel had a half eager, half amused expression on his face that greatly contrasted with the shock of the whole situation. Kate snapped out of her strange trance and gazed at Tony with a whole new form of adoration I had never noticed before in her eyes.

"Where is Ziva, by the way?" I asked, deciding there wasn't anything else to be said on the current matter at hand.

"Replacing the window in Abby's lab," Kate replied in a strained voice.

"What about Abby?"

"Out with McGee taking the day off." Hmm. Must have been Gibbs's idea. Speaking of...

"Hope they use it wisely," Gibbs said, appearing out of nowhere like he seemed to be so good at all the time.

"Why'd you give them the day off?" I asked accusingly. "You know we've got a case."

"Things are settling down, Jen. Can't do anything till we know what Eli's doing." I sighed, but he had a point. Gibbs had thought of everything, apparently.

"So, shall we take our own break?" Gibbs murmured. I felt blush tinge my cheeks as he led me into my own office, letting the door slam shut and lock automatically as it did sometimes when it shut too hard. One kiss lead to another, then another and another, and soon, all too soon, I had to pull away to breathe.

"My favorite redhead," Gibbs said with a small smile that was barely visible.

"My silver haired fox," I purred in response. His hands moved down to my waist. It had been such a long time since we had spent time alone like this.

_Later..._

Just as we were really beginning to enjoy our little 'break' here in my office, there was a loud, rapid knock at the door. I moaned and hurried to make myself look presentable for whoever decided to interrupt my temporary vacation. Gibbs miraciously was already resituated by the time I wrenched the door open to see Ziva standing there.

"Director?" Ziva queried.

"I am fine," I said hastily, knowing my hair must look a complete mess and my makeup in no better condition. "What do you want?" Ziva looked very uncertain, an unusual thing to see in her, so I knew this was probably serious.

"What's wrong?" Gibbs asked when Ziva did not answer.

"I...am not sure," she murmured, speaking slowly, as if she were trying to find the right words. "But there is snow in Abby's lab now." Gibbs and I exchanged a glance. _Snow?_ Since when did it snow in DC at this time of the year? Especially indoors?

"Could you explain a little more?" I said as we took the stairs down to Abby's lab.

"One minute I was thinking about how cold it was in there and the next...snow came down out of nowhere."

"From the ceiling?"

"I will show you," Ziva replied, apparently not wanting to discuss the matter any further.

Abby POV

"...and here is the spare bedroom," I concluded. McGee nodded, not really paying attention to the tour I was giving him. I frowned, wondering why he was so distracted today.

"Sorry, Abs, I just can't focus on this right now," he said in a monotone. I could tell he was deep in thought about something.

"Hey, why don't we go ahead and make the purchase official, that way we can go ahead and move all our stuff in here and still have time for the remaining wedding plans...you know, we have not decided on a cake or invitation style, and I can't hold out on the bakery forever, they do exclusive booking at least a week before hand, and there's still the matter of a proper date for the damn event, as you very well know-"

"Abby," McGee interjected. I got the hint and fell silent. "Look, I've been thinking-"

"Big surprise," I said without thinking. He sent me a warning glare.

"I've been thinking, and it looks like we have way too much on our plates, what with the case, our weird abilities coming in at any second now, the wedding to plan, and moving into a new place, and the twins to raise, don't you think something has to give before we crack under all this strain?" I nodded. This certainly was a lot to handle at once.

"I'll have Kate and Ziva finish off the wedding plans," I said, hoping for compromise. "We can take more breaks from work so we won't have to hire babysitters full time. And the owner of this place said we can move in here anytime we wish."

"Don't you feel like things are going too well, though?" McGee asked in a tone very close to a desperate whine.

"You mean, despite the fact that I nearly became a burnt Abby carcass the other day?" I asked sarcastically, remembering all too well about my close encounter with the monstorous flames spreading out of control, eating everything in sight...I shook away the memory with a slight shudder, hoping nobody on the team had gotten such a horrifying ability.

"Abs, I'm serious!" McGee exclaimed.

"Okay. Serious now," I told him.

"I mean...don't you get a gut feeling that something really bad is going to happen at any second?"

"Timmy," I whispered. "I feel like that every time you go out in the field. I feel like that any time one of you leaves my lab. I feel like that when we leave our kids. But that doesn't stop me from living, now does it?"

"Guess not," he sighed. "I'm just-"

"Worried, I know. I can feel it from all the way over here."

"Want to go back to work?"

"Yeah...maybe Tony found out something new on the case."


	36. Chapter 36

**AN: Yay now we finally know what Tony's power is. Off to find out the nonesense going on in Abby's lab, and the squadroom...**

Tony POV

"Why'd you freak out like that?" I asked Kate, throwing away the melted office supplies as the Director and Ziva went down to Abby's lab**. **She glanced at me, then quickly looked away, as if she were afraid to say anything.

"Come on, you can talk to me." She let out a shaky sigh. I took her hands and pulled her toward me.

"I was six years old," Kate started. "It was not long after summer started. I was playing with some friends in an old abandoned house. Back then, my parents didn't cared who I was with or where I played as long I was home in time for dinner and didn't get into trouble, despite my Catholic upbringing. They were more free-range parents than strict traditionalist parents you find in most Catholic families.

Anyway, it was pretty sunny outside, with a major heatwave in my honetown. You know, hundred degrees on average, air conditioning is never working hard enough kind of must have left a lit cigarette or something, I don't know. All I remember is while playing freeze tag in the place is just suddenly, these orange flames come out of nowhere, eating up the dry wood like nobody's business. I was in the upstairs room, trapped. I screamed for help over and over, but nobody came...last thing I remember is all this heat..."

"So, what happened?" I asked softly.

"I woke up in the hospital," Kate continued. "My parents told me if it wasn't for the fact that the firefighters were already doing their round patrols of wildfires, I wouldn't have survived."

"So, that's it? Just childhood trauma?"

"There's more. When I was twelve, I used to have a friend that would burn herself every time her parents fought. Seeing fire being used like that, plus remembering my own experiences of it...that made seeing you like that earlier pretty hard. It brought back memories I hoped that I'd never have to relive again." She wrapped her arms around me and didn't say anything more.

"Sorry I scared you," I said.

"You couldn't have known. Nobody else here does."

"You know, Abby got involved in a fire the other day," I told her, trying to change the subject. She pulled back a little.

"Yeah, I caught glimpses of something, so I figured Abby was up to something in her absence."

"After all that, she probably won't really like my power all that much anymore..."

"Well, now we know why you have been getting _so_ hot lately, Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo," Kate teased. I rolled my eyes and leaned down to kiss her.

Ziva POV

"Where is the snow?" Gibbs asked.

"If I knew I would tell you," I responded, scanning the area. It still felt remarkably cold in here. But the thermostat read a normal temperature.

"It's not even cold in here," Jenny murmured, examining the thermostat. It was currently room temperature. But it felt like an Artic wind was blowing in here, coming from..somewhere... I shivered, despite my efforts of acting like nothing was wrong.

"Where'd that wind come from?" the Director wondered, looking around. I shurgged and ventured further into the lab. Another shiver. Was I the only one who thought it was beyond freezing? Gibbs gave me a strange glance. He could tell something strange was going on with me. I ignored him and continued looking around for signs of strangeness. Nothing was out of the ordinary in here.

"I did not imagine this," I said as Gibbs and the redhead exchanged a glance. They were having a conversation without words. Something Tony claimed he could do with me, but I could never tell what he was trying to say. Then again, I do give him the benefit of doubt more often than I should. But, if it all was in good fun, why regret it? I brought my hand down and sighed. I didn't need anymore of these...complications. Tony had Kate, Abby had McGee, Gibbs had Jenny, and I had-

"Look!" Jenny breathed. She pointed at the table, where everything liquid had frozen solid.

"You sure it was snow that you saw?" Gibbs asked with an amused look on his face.

"No," I muttered, still thinking of Tony. I left the lab, hoping for a minute alone. Nobody noticed me leaving. And, of course, the second I was back in the bullpen I almost left again. For right there, Tony just _had_ to show off his love for Kate in front of me, which was hardly fair, because everyone else knew her before I did. I had nobody...even Gibbs had someone! Tony pulled away from his girlfriend and saw me standing there. Without thinking, I launched my trusty knife at my target. Tony just barely managed to catch it. I stared at him for a long moment, trying to speak to him without saying a word. Then I took off at a run, not even bothering to take the elevator this time.

Abby POV- _twenty minutes later..._

McGee and I walked in to see Gibbs and the Director standing there, looking out of place in my lab.

"What happened here?" I exlaimed, seeing the frozen water bottle, the frozen blood samples, and frozen Caf-Pow! sitting on the table.

"No idea," Jenny replied. "Ziva took off before she could explain things. She looked upset about something."

"Maybe Tony knows where she went?" McGee suggested, kicking into agent mode. We went into the bullpen, but Ziva was not there. Tony sat at his desk, typing away, but in reality playing an RP game. Kate was sitting on the floor playing Sodoku.

"Hey, what happened with Ziva?" I asked. "I'm gone for five minutes and Tony already does something stupid?" Tony winced. Ouch. I hit a nerve. Kate glanced at him, then returned to her number game. I seifted through his emotions and could see that he felt guilty about something.

"Tony, what happened?" McGee said, taking over for me, since I was being _so_ helpful with my inconciderate comments.

"She...walked in and saw us, threw a knife at me and left," Tony replied, being unusually brief and serious.

"Doesn't sound like anything unusual...what'd you do to piss her off?" McGee interrogated. Tony and Kate looked at each other. Why is it that everyone found the sudden need to have silent conversations today? I glanced at the elevator door. Ziva stepped out, leaning on Daniel's arm. Tony tore his gaze away from Kate to look at her the moment she entered the bullpen.

"Thank you, Daniel," Ziva said. "You are a...good friend." She hugged Daniel and went to go sit at her desk. McGee gave her a strange look, but decided to just let it go.

"Timmy," I said. "My binder with all the wedding plans is in my lab. Could you go get it and hand it over to Kate?" He nodded and went to the elevator. Daniel sat down next to Kate and started giving her pointers on Sodoku.

"But shouldn't a six go here?" Kate asked, pointing at her booklet of puzzles.

"No, because then there's no place for an eight," Daniel answered. "Looks like you'll have to start over." Kate sighed and started scrubbing out numbers with her eraser. I watched Ziva carefully. Every now and then she looked at Tony, and whenever he looked at her she quickly returned her gaze to the computer screen and continued working as if nothing had happened. I noticed a knife was sitting on Tony's desk. Ziva's knife, to be precise. Finally, after ten minutes of this, Tony sighed and left the bullpen without saying another word.

"I'm going to relay all this to Gibbs," I told McGee. He nodded, looking slightly distracted. Something was going on with Ziva...what was her problem, anyway?


	37. Chapter 37

**AN: OKAY, so that scene was accidental...let's see what Eli's been doing in the meantime!**

**No idea how many chapters this will end up being? Probably 40...at the minimum. There are still a lot of plotlines to work and stuff like that. And you probably don't want me to leave you wondering what Ziva and McGee's powers are, right? About the kids. They will make another appearence, but at the moment they are not an important part of the plot and are just being 'watched over' by various baby sitters while everyone's at work.**

**This chapter takes place about a week after the incident between Tony and Ziva. I own nothing but my OCs Daniel, Hayley, Tabitha, and Reilly. Oh, and Alistair, but since he's dead I doubt that matters.**

Eli walked amongst the ashes of his ruined plans. How could a Goth scientist thwart him so easily? Even alone, she was powerful. More so than he had predicted. But she was still just a girl...an impossible child, lead by her emotions. Perhaps, instead of fighting against her, he could get her to work with him.

Seperated, those NCIS agents were helpless and only focused on regrouping before doing anything. They didn't focus on what mattered. All these thoughts went through his head as he walked along. Then, he stopped, seeing his daughter in the distance. She was with someone...Daniel something-or-other by the looks of things. Eli moved closer to hear what they were saying.

"I am glad you and I came out here today," Ziva was saying.

"Well, I just wanted to be a...good friend," Daniel said, hesitating slightly. He cleared his throat and smiled a little at her. "Did you like the movie?"

"I think some scenes were a little rushed, but yes, I did." Eli held his breath. His daughter, on a date...with _him_?

"Well, that's good. You know, now that my workplace is destroyed, along with everyone in it, I'll need to find a new place of employment." They sounded very close, if he didn't know better, he'd think they were-no, focus! He had to seperate them somehow. A gust of wind, perhaps, to blow them apart, or maybe...Eli cast his eyes on the skies.

A blot of lightning struck down between the conversing friends, and they leapt apart. Daniel cried out in shock, but Ziva remained calm, yet her gaze darted here and there in search of other signs of danger. Eli swiftly turned away and started off down another street before he could be seen. Instantly, another dark eyed, observent agent followed him, having known all that would have transpired here in the streets hours before it actually had.

Jenny POV

"Tony, have you seen Ziva and Kate?" I asked, entering the bullpen after lunch that afternoon.

"Ziva's on a date with Daniel, however much she'd like to deny it..." Tony grinned. "And Kate left a few minutes ago, looking kind of weird. I have no idea where she went."

"Let me know when they return. They are needed in MTAC as soon as possible." I turned to leave the bullpen, wondering if I'd have some free time with Jethro tonight...

Ziva POV

"Stop." I obeyed.

"Are we friends, or something more?" Daniel asked me. I looked at him, and was startled by the green eyes, so different from Tony's. Honest, sincere, kind...things he rarely showed around me. Tony was nothing but games and riddles, impossible to figure out.

"I..well...we barely know each other," I defended myself lamely.

"But we know each other," Daniel said. "So, let's get to know one another more, shall we? What's your favorite color?" I sighed.

"Red, and what is the point of this?"

"To go from good friends to great friends. So you have any siblings?"

"No," I answered. "What is your mother's name?"

"Gloria. What is your father's occupation?"

"Mossad," I whispered, remembering that sudden strike of lightning from earlier. It didn't harm us, strangely enough, but it certainly was frightening and unexpected. Luckily, we both had excellent reflexes and jumped away as soon as we had seen it coming. Daniel gave me a long, searching look. I already knew what he would see. A woman, hiding her emotions as she always did...well how could I help one of the habits I gained from all the Mossad training?

"Let's go inside," he said quietly. "I think I've asked enough questions for now." He walked off without waiting for me. For the first time since I had seen Tony kiss Kate, I felt alone. And for the first time, I did not like it.

Abby POV

I stopped in my frantic running about the bullpen in search of the phone number to the wedding dress store, feeling overwhelmingly sad all the sudden. A second later, Ziva came in. I put two and two together and figured Ziva must be having a rough day.

"Tim, you have the number?" I called.

"Abby, I already called them," he said, confused. Now I was going crazy. Great. This is always how it starts...I ran into Daniel, who so happened to make the mistake of crossing my path today.

"What?" I shouted.

"Abby, calm down," Daniel said. I circled back over to McGee's desk.

"Did you set a date yet?"

"I was hoping for June seventh...but they're book the entire month so it'll have to wait until July fourth."

"Ugh, a summer wedding," I muttered. "I just hope its going to be indoors."

"Director, I have a location on Kate," Tony announced. I looked at him, having forgotten completely that he was here at all. Jenny appeared seemingly out of nowhere, but then I heard a door slam shut somewhere and deduced she must have been in the cyber crimes unit or something.

"You tacked her phone?" Jenny asked.

"Yes, and it appears she's following Eli around. He doesn't seem to be doing anything unusual, though. I'll give her another half hour before going in after her."

"Good plan, Dinozzo," Gibbs said, sitting down at his desk. I went off to go visit Ducky, suddenly in the mood for a story.

Kate POV

Just when I had him cornered, suddenly, three men dropped down over the brick wall, pointing their guns at me. Eli turned around, looking unnaffected by this.

"Well, it seems you've gotten into trouble again, Caitlin," Eli said. "Stalin, give her the chloroform." The last thing I remembered was a sickly sweet scent that pulled me under.

_At NCIS, Tony notices the signal that told him where Kate was located suddenly vanishes. He exchanges a glance with the Director, then quickly leaves the bullpen in a haphazard state._


	38. Chapter 38

Kate POV

Don't you hate that tingly feeling you get sometimes, like a certain limb had fallen asleep for awhile and the feeling was only just starting to come back? Yeah, I sort of miss that advantage too. Because I couldn't feel a thing. I was completely numb. It was black here. The darkness was very heavy and made me tired. So, I just sccumbed to the darkness again, hoping this time, I actually woke up...

McGee POV

"So, wedding plans are on hold..." I said. My voice trailed off, hoping Abby's reaction wasn't too intense.

"Why?" Abby asked. "Is something going on?"

"Kate's missing," I blurted, getting the bad news over with. Abby suddenly whirled around, a wild look of terror on her face.

_"What?"_ It was just as I feared, only worse. She frantically went around the lab, using any method she could to track Kate. I watched her in complete silence, knowing there was no way to calm her down. After fifteen minutes of this, she sat in the chair in defeat, her sigh sounding as if she were close to tears. I pulled the chair roward myself and started rubbing her shoulders.

"Abbs, honey, it'll be okay. Kate can take care of herself. What we need to worry about is ourselves at the moment."

"I just don't want to lose her again," Abby mumbled. "Did you feel it, too, when she was gone? The feeling that something was completely off balance?"

"Well, her death _was_ a little sudden. Even Gibbs wasn't expecting it." At this, Abby let out a sob.

"If we don't hear anything for half an hour, we'll go after her," I promised. "Come on, cheer up. Let's finish making the move into our new house, shall we? I'm sure that'll make you feel better. You know, our sitter Jenna was telling me how big the twins have gotten lately..." The distraction worked. I smiled, watching my fiancee's face light up with joy.

Kate POV

Dark. It was still very dark. The dark was heavy, but not as much as before. I could almost...feel...something, though I wasn't sure what. Was it the brush of skin against skin? The smooth velvety sensation of something solid beneath me? Someone whispered a few words in my ear. I struggled to wake up, but only found the darkness increasing its hold on me once more. So, once again, I slipped under, starting to feel frustrated despite all the numbness in my body.

When I became aware of the darkness again, the weight all around me was lighter once again, and more bearable. I could think around it. I could feel someone carrying me...I was being carried, right? At least, that was what it felt like. The numbness abated for a moment, allowing me to clear my head just slightly. There was a familiar scent...somewhere. Very woodsy, like a pine forest surrounding me. I allowed the smell to take over my thoughts for the next space of time. A funny thing. When you are completely nothing, time has no meaning, really. Heavy...tired...but I was able to fight it off this time.

Slowly, ever so slowly. Was I waking up, or was it just the darkness clearing away? I could feel my fingers now, at least. Not that I could move them, but it was nice to know I was something more than just disembodied thought. That same voice whispered in my ear again, and suddenly I could feel a whole new surface underneath me. It was soft, but firm at the same time. Feathers poked into what I presumed to be my back. Hands, soft and sure, stroked back something from my face. This cycle went on for some time...once again, I wondered how much of it was passing.

An unmeasurable amount of time later, I could not be sure how long, but possibly quite a long time, or maybe no time at all, I was able to feel almost every limb in my body. What's more, I became more aware of my surroundings. Every sound was magnified. I could feel the silk sheets below me, the fluffy pillow underneath my neck, and in the distance I could hear a voice...

"Kate? Can you hear me?" Was that groan really my voice? Did I even have a voice anymore? I struggled to open my eyes, move my fingers, do _something_...well, something must have happened, because I heard someone sigh in relief.

"You got a strong dose of chloroform, Kate. Anymore and he would have killed you. Just keep fighting it..." In that moment, something clicked and siddenly my eyes flew open. The sudden light and resulting image was so painful I nearly screwed my eyes shut again, but upon seeing my rescuer, I thought otherwise.

"Oh thank God!" Tony breathed. "Do you know how long it's been?" Slowly, I shook my head. How could I know such information, when I barely even knew where I was?

Jenny POV

"So, while we are alone..." I said. Gibbs paid no attention to me, continuing to stare down the MTAC door like it were his eye that were supposed to open it, not someone else's.

"Jethro, you need to relax." He sent me a death glare that would freeze hell over, but did not affect me all that much in reality.

"Gonna be mad at me for delaying it..." Gibbs mumbled. He gave up on the door staredown and went to his desk. I figured now was the time to mention it.

"Kate's safe, Tony has her. Don't you think now would be the time to live a little?" Gibbs sighed and sat down, not looking at me.

"Reilly needs us. Our sitter is too ill to watch her," I said softly. I winced, bracing his reaction. To my surprise, Gibbs remained relatively calm.

"I will watch her. You stay here." He kissed me on the cheek and left without another word. In that moment, I knew I was completely alone. I went down to autopsy, and found my statement to be not entirely true...Ducky stood there, getting ready to leave.

"Hello, Jennifer," Ducky said in a tired voice. "Have you heard anything about our dear Caitlin? I've been waiting for news for a while now."

"She's fine. Can I stay the night at your place? I have a feeling Jethro is going to be a little...you know..."

"Of course, I know how hard it can be for you two sometimes. Palmer was supposed to be at my house anyway. It's supposed to be Chinese night. I hope you don't mind."

"Oh, no!" I shook my head and smiled. "That sounds lovely, Ducky. I'll see you at seven."

Kate POV

"Can you sit up yet?" Tony asked me after a minute.

"What happened to me? Last thing I remember is being outnumbered, and then..."

"You got drugged, pretty heavily I might add. It seems you got a triple dose in your system."

"How long?" I said.

"Three days. You were like that for three days." Well, that was a shocker. I was sure it had been longer than that, or maybe shorter. How should I know? The darkness had taken over my life completely for such a long time. And yet it didn't feel like time had passed at all. Oh, this was strange.

"I...can hardly believe this," I murmured, trying to work out my conflicted thoughts. "It doesn't feel like anything's changed at all."

Abby POV

"So, today, make sure Hayley starts sleeping when she should," I instructed Jenna that morning. "And Tabitha, as you know is pretty much her complete opposite. She stays up all hours it seems. But she sleeps on her own so that's hardly a problem...and I think that's it! I'll call you at lunchtime to check in. And you'll get paid after I come back from work. Okay, bye!" I turned and went to meet McGee at the end of the driveway.

"Do you love the new house?" I asked him.

"It's...different," he said. "But I'll get used to it in time, just like I did with you."

"Yeah. Okay. Now you're weirding me out." I grinned at him.

"Whatever, like _I'm_ the weird one." He shoved me playfully. I pushed him back. Pretty soon, he was chasing me around. I avoided his every playful strike. The feigned fight was almost like a dance, something with a rhythic motion that never seemed to stop. Then, suddenly, I fell on top of him and we both landed very hard on the ground next to my car. Breathing very hard, neither of us moved. Then I leaned down and kissed him.

"Screw the plans," McGee gasped. "Let's get married tonight, in private, out in a church." I couldn't agree more. It was about time a decision was made. It was about time I got my happy ending.


	39. Chapter 39

_The next day- 1900 hours_

Eli signaled for the feed to start broadcasting global now, but nothing happened. He sighed in frustration._ Why must I do everything myself?_ The underground office was so wired up it was difficult to manuver.

"What's the holdup?" Eli growled once he had finally reached the main control room.

"Sir, the main wire seems to have been cut," a woman said typing frantically.

"Or unplugged," Eli muttered, plugging something in. "Do it, now. We cannot wait any longer."

"Which one did you want?" a man from off to the side asked.

"Surprise me." Eli almost smiled. "I'm sure you can figure something out." He turned and went off to the room with all the tapes to see one being taken down to the main control room. So far, so good...

_Somewhere in Delaware..._

"Mommy, did you see this?" a girl called.

"Not now, honey, I'm busy."

"But you _have_ to look!" she whined.

"Not now, I said!" But then the mother found herself being drawn in to the infectuous tune, and a voice...

_New York_

"What are you listening to?"

"No idea, but its great!"

"Get to bed, it's late."

"Five more minutes..."

But try as anyone might, they _couldn't _break away from it. And so the brainwashing began. The voice was the same for all.

**You are now an accepted part of the New World Order. Commencing memory reset...rearranging files...the New World Order is something good, remember that. It is a good thing for the world. Federal agencies will try and stop us, not understanding our eventual goals. Do not let them do anything to you.**

Ziva POV

"Where are Abby and Tim?" I asked Daniel, who had come to stay at my apartment that night. He shrugged and collapsed onto the couch, falling asleep almost instantly. I had no idea how he managed to do that. Not that it mattered...I got distracted by his sleeping form, momentarily mesmerised at how still and calm he was in sleep. My phone vibrated. I checked the caller ID. Tony.

"Officer David."

"Have you heard from Probie? I've been trying to call him all day but he won't answer the phone. Bossman's getting pretty mad..."

"No I have not. Did you try calling Abby?"

"Yes. She isn't answering her phone either."

"Perhaps they are out doing something."

"All day? It's seven o'clock, Zeevah."

"I know, Tony. I've got a watch. I do not think you should worry about them. Abby can take care of herself, and the same goes for McGee. But if you are that worried, try calling their new house number and see if the babysitter answers."

"I know I shouldn't worry...but, rule three, you know?"

"Tony, just trust me on this."

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow." Daniel started snoring. I ignored him and went to see if anything was on TV. Nothing but an annoying song that repeated itself over and over on every single channel. What was up with the cable, anyway? Perhaps I should give the company a call and see what was going on. After a quiet frozen dinner all alone, I went to go find a good book to read. Of course, that was when fate decided to ruin my perfect evening. I sighed and answered my phone for the second time.

"Ziva, get to NCIS, now! Bring your little friend along." I glanced at Daniel, who was still sound asleep.

"Be there in ten," I muttered, seeing there was no point in arguing. But, oh, what is going on? Could there be a new case? Was somebody hurt? Captured? Killed, even? No, silly of me to think like that! Nobody could be hurt already. Things had just begun to settle down again. I kicked Daniel to wake him up. He groaned and rolled off the couch, but continued sleeping.

"Wake up!" I shouted.

"Whatssat?" Daniel slurred. "What happened?"

"We have to go," I said. "Get up and make yourself presentable."

"Where are we going?" He got to his feet, wide awake now.

"NCIS, now come on!"

Abby POV

"Are we almost there?" I murmured, feeling very sleepy now. We must have been driving for hours...was the wedding really just last night?

"Abbs, we're here," McGee said softly. I felt myself being carried, but didn't have the energy to ask anything else. Before I knew it, I had fallen into a hypnotic nonthinking stupor, caused by my extreme exhaustion I suppose. Some time later, we were in our hotel room. I vaguely recognized landmarks well known to Manhattan Island.

"Come'ere," I mumbled. Instantly, I felt a warm presence next to me. Piercing green eyes watched me carefully.

"Love you," McGee whispered.

"Love you...too..."

"Shh, sleep...you need to sleep." As if on command, my eyes slid shut, and I thought no more.

Daniel POV

"What seems to be the trouble?" Ziva asked Gibbs upon entering the bullpen that evening. I looked back and forth between them. Though I hadn't been around these NCIS people very much, I could tell Gibbs was not a man of many words.

"Eli's made his move already. Its too late to do anything about him."

"What do we do, then?" Ziva exclaimed.

"Certainly not give up," I said. "Let's wait until everyone's powers fully develop so we have better protection against whatever Eli unleashed out there."

"Are you sure there's still time for that?"

"Only time will tell," was all I'd say in response. Ziva stared at me for a moment, as if she were conteplating something.

"In that case, let me show you what I can do." She thrust her hand out and froze Gibbs's coffee. Gibbs stared at the cup as if it were something foreign. At this point, I was used to the strangeness going on with the team members, but it was still exciting to see something like this just...happen.

"How long have you been able to do that?" I asked. Gibbs turned the coffee cup upside down and shook it, but nothing happened.

"Since Kate went missing."

"Speaking of, where is Kate? And Tony for that matter?"

"I do not know, but he was wondering about Abby and Tim earlier...I told him not to worry. Why should there be a reason to worry, anyway?"

"MTAC, now," Jenny ordered from the catwalk. I sighed. Famous last words, Ziva.


	40. Chapter 40

**AN: We have now reached Chapter 40 in this ongoing sci-fi/supernatural adventure. WOW that is a lot of chapters. I thank you all for the numerous reviews, alerts, etc.**

**DISCLAIMER: AHEM. If I owned NCIS, don't you think a little romance action would've happened by now? And awesome stuff like this would be possible. I'd make the show soo awesome if I were in charge...**

**P.S. Sorry it took so long to update. A lot of stuff has been going on lately and I could only just now settle down and continue this story. I know, I'm frustrated too.**

**Another thing. School is about to start soon, and its my senior year, so I have no idea how often I can post stuff, so just bear with me once the year really starts taking off. **

**BTW, for future reference. Knives are quieter than bullets in the dark. Hint, hint.**

Jenny POV

Unfortunately, at that moment, the power went out. City wide. The whole building plunged into complete darkness. Everyone was silent for several seconds.

"Report," I said.

"I'm here," Gibbs announced.

"Kate and I just arrived," Tony called. "But I don't think we can take the elevator anymore."

"Daniel?" There was light breathing to my right, as if someone was trying very hard to be quiet. I whirled around and shoved the unknown figure to the floor.

"Jesus, Director," Kate panted from the carpet. "It's just me."

"Where's Daniel? And Ziva?"

"I am here," Ziva's voice said behind me.

"I've got a flashlight," Ducky announced, coming in with the device. I squinted at the sudden light. Off to the side, someone groaned and crumpled to the ground. Ducky aimed the flashlight. Daniel was soaked in blood, a knife sticking out of his back.

"Search the building," I ordered. "Someone's here."

"I'll take care of Daniel," Ziva said, taking the flashlight from Ducky and running to where Daniel lay on the floor. Palmer came up and handed everyone a flashlight.

"I had some spares in case some storm came along and cut off the power," Jimmy explained once I had a flashlight in my hand.

"Dinozzo, go look for anyone covered in blood," Gibbs said.

"On it, boss." He took Kate by the hand and left the bullpen, being careful to take the stairs. With a little more light in here, it was emuch easier to move around the bullpen without running into someone's desk or knocking something over.

"Nobody's here...they are gone," Tony murmured, bowing his head in shame. Kate nodded to confirm this information.

"Daniel is losing a lot of blood," Ziva said. "Ducky, do you think you could..." Jimmy ran to the stairs to fetch Ducky's medical bag while the ME tried to help Ziva stop the bleeding. Daniel was struggling to remain conscious, but as time passed it looked more and more like a losing battle.

"Jen, you okay?' Gibbs asked softly.

"Check on Reilly. I am going to call SecNav and get to the bottom of this-" I glanced out the window and saw some people behaving awfully strange. Well, it's not every day you see people trying to get past security by force unless something was really wrong. I exchanged a glance with Gibbs.

"On second thought," I said, my voice not betraying any of the shock I happened to be feeling, "I'm going to solve that problem down there first."

Gibbs POV

"Hi, you've reached Abby Sciuto...um...I mean...McGee! Right! I'm married now! How could I forget such a thing, _married_...Anyway, please leave a message, whoever you are, and depending on the circumstance I'll get back to you as soon as poss-Timothy McGee! Are you serious? I'm trying to do something important and if you don't stop it-_beeep..._" Her laughter was cut off at once. For the third time I hung up before I could actually record anything. Voice mails weren't my style.

"Ducky, he's lost a lot of blood," Ziva said. Her voice shook slightly with worry and panic.

"Do not worry, Jimmy is here with my medical bag, ah there he is." Ducky smiled as Palmer appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Ziva," Daniel gasped, speaking for the first time since he had gotten injured.

"Daniel...stay with me now," Ziva whispered, brushing back his hair. "Promise me?"

"I promise," Daniel replied in a strained voice. I left the bullpen to go do as Jenny asked me earlier.

Abby POV

"Where'd you go?"

"Here."

"I can't see you."

"But I'm right here!"

"Oh God! You're invisible!" Suddenly, I saw McGee standing before me, his eyes wide with shock.

"That was rather unexpected," he said, laughing a little. I laughed at the expression on his face and pulled him along toward the stairs.

"Hey, Abs, I think your phone is ringing," Tim said unexpectedly once we were outside.

"Let it ring," I replied, rolling my eyes. "This time is about us, not cases and forensics or-"

"Just answer it," my husband interrupted. I sighed and did as I was told.

"Abby, where are you?" Gibbs barked.

"With Tim," I replied. "In an undisclosed location somewhere in New York."

"_Why_ are you in New York?" Gibbs growled.

"Honeymoon. We had a private wedding the other night."

"Why didn't you call?"

"I wanted some time alone with my new husband...is that such a bad thing, Gibbs?"

"It is when Daniel is close to dying and there is a power outage all over the city and Jen is getting attacked down there!"

"You have some explaining to do," I accused, trying to remain calm. "What happened to Daniel?"

"Someone hurt him. Ducky's trying to stop the bleeding. An ambulance is on the way."

"Hurt? How?"

"Knife wound in the back."

"About the power outage-"

"Kate is on that now."

"And Jenny? What's going on with her?"

"I don't know. All I know is we need you two back here at NCIS." The line disconnected before I could protest.

"Vacation time over already?" I shrugged.

"He didn't say _when_..." I smiled fliratiously at him.

"You are very bad," he told me. "But I suppose Gibbs wouldn't mind if we just...you know..." I leaned over and kissed him before he could finish his sentence.

Jenny POV

"You cannot stop us from accomplishing our goal," a woman droned. "You shall get what's coming for you. I believe someone has already gotten it..." I thought of Daniel, soaked in blood, hovering between life and death.

"What is your goal, exactly?" I asked politely, knowing I needed to keep her talking in order to buy time for Kate to find a way to get the city's power back on.

"The New World Order wishes a new era of peace and harmony, one where only those who oppose the authority are left on the outside. Our Great Leader is about to make the first Law which is to always be followed no matter your beliefs. There is a cleansing to be made, very soon now, starting with all federal agencies." Well, that was a huge shock.

"What do you have against us?" I asked, trying to remain calm.

"Federal agencies have some form of authority, correct?" the woman asked coldly. "We cannot afford having someone defy the New World Order. This is not something to feel regretful about. I am sure we can find _something_ you can do in the new regime." I liking the sound of this less and less.

"When does extermination start?" Staying calm was starting to look like an impossible feat now. The strange woman laughed at me, along with her group of comrades.

"Extermination? My dear, death is _far_ too easy of a punishment for all of you." She glanced at the man closest to her and he made a grab for me. I was so stunned that I made no move to fight back.

"What are you going to do with me?"

"You ask too many questions," the woman spat. "Leave her with this FBI bastard I picked up earlier in the black van we came in." I was thrown into the back of a van and was surprised to see...

"Tobias!" I exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing, Director Shepard."


	41. Chapter 41

**AN: OH MY GOD SOMEONE KILL ME! I tried to read My Immortal and I wanted to gouge my eyes out and blow my brains out. SERIOUSLY!**

**...**

**Anyway, now that I've calmed down its time to address my issue with updating. The story has gotten hard to write once more. Some plot things need to be wrapped up before I can finally end it and ITS ALL SO HARD!**

**But...you guys understand, right? Right?**

**DeletedIdi0t: Um I don't think they do, sis.**

**Me: What are you doing here?**

**DeletedIdi0t: Delivering the disclaimer, of course.**

**Me: Nooo, and I swear I thought that email to Bellisarius would work! THIS ISN'T FAIR!**

**DeletedIdi0t: Not my concern. I don't even like NCIS anyway, so can we get this over with?**

**Me: -gasp- How are we related? I disown you!**

**DeletedIdi0t: ...**

**Me: I didn't really mean it!**

**DeletedIdi0t: Whatever. Moving on... -walks away-**

**Me: Nooo, wait, hold on! I wasn't finished with you yet! -runs after Deleted Idi0t-**

Jenny POV

It didn't take all that long for Tobias and I to escape the van unnoticed, less than thirty minutes, since his bonds were proving to be a little difficult to deal with. We hid in some nearby bushes and spotted the zombified people congressing just outside the NCIS building. The gaurds watched them with suspicious looks on their faces. I didn't blame them one bit.

"What exactly happened to those people?" I whispered to Fornell.

"It's the same all over the nation. Eli's recruiting personal slaves to completely start the whole world over from scratch."

"Seems like he's going through too much work for something so simple if you ask me," I remarked lightly.

"What do we do? Kill them off?" I shook my head.

"If this is nation-wide, I doubt that is a smart idea, Tobias."

"Well, I'm at a total loss, then..."

Abby POV

"We need a faster route!" I shrieked as McGee made yet another sharp turn onto a highway. Seriously, if this kept up, I was going to lose my lunch.

"Hang on! I've got an idea!" Tim shouted, pouring on the gas. Miraciously, we haven't been pulled over yet.

"Let's hope it was better than your last one!" I replied just as loudly as we were nearly smashed by a semi truck.

"Okay, I think we're almost to the border," McGee said after awhile.

"Which border?" I asked cautiously.

"Um...we might need a map or something."

"We're lost?" I shrieked, starting to panic again.

"Abs, calm down!" Tim yelled. I shut up. He sighed and kept driving. Was this ever going to end?

Daniel POV

Aw, crap. My back felt like it was on fire. I groaned and tried to sit up, but that made me feel so light headed the attempt was pointless.

"Ziva," I gasped, calling for the first person I could think of.

"Daniel, I'm here," Ziva said from somewhere nearby. "Kate, did you find a way to get the power back on?" So, I wasn't blind, then. What a relief. But, wait, why is the power off? While I struggled to make sense of everything, action continued on all around me.

"I think some major 'plug' was pulled, so to speak." Tony said. "Kate, could you make yourself useful before I use your lips as a wonderful distraction from the power outage?" There was a huff of annoyance from behind me.

"You never change," Kate muttered. It was harder to detect footsteps on carpet, but I could just barely hear Kate walk away from where I happened to be laying.

"Sure as hell hope you pulled the knife out," I mumbled.

"Yes, I did," Ziva replied. "Are you okay?"

"I will be once we find out who was up to this."

"I'll have Abby identify the prints once she gets here. I'm sure she doesn't want me touching her equipment." I smiled, imagining Abby with a murderous look on her face, finding Ziva in her lab like that. A flashlight was turned on. Its light was very dim.

"This is the only one that still has batteries in it," Ziva said, indicating the device in her hand.

"Anyone heard from Ducky since Daniel got hurt?" Tony asked.

"No, but I expect he is down in autopsy with Palmer looking for more flashlights," Kate replied. I tried to sit up again, only to have Ziva restrain me.

"We should have taken you to a hospital," Ziva whispered. "You could have died."

"But I didn't," I told her. "So, it's all good now." She ran her hand through my hair and kissed me on the forehead.

"There is something I have been meanining to tell you," Ziva said slowly. In the dim lighting of the flashlight, I could see her face turn bright red.

"I'm listening." At that moment, Kate came back. Less than a second later, the bullpen was flooded with light. I screwed my eyes shut, shocked at the sudden light.

"How did you get this fixed?" Tony asked, pulling Kate into his arms.

"I pulled a few strings," Kate responded casually with a shrug, modest as always.

"What was it you wanted to tell me?" I asked Ziva cautiously, hoping this interruption hadn't put her off of whatever news she had for me. My eyes were slowly beginning to adjust, and I could see, according to the gauze tightly wrapped around my torso, and the stained carpet, that I had lost a lot of blood. Ziva deflected my question.

"You seen Gibbs?" Tony murmured to Kate, having found no signs of danger around the area. She shook her head.

"Here," Gibbs said, appearing in the bullpen. "Jen is with Tobias trying to get things under control. I want a full search of the area to find out who tried to kill Daniel."

"I take it this means I'm too close to the case," I muttered sarcasically. Gibbs bent down and gave me my first headslap. Not a pleasent experience since just a couple hours ago I had bled half to death.

"Ouch," I growled, glaring up at Gibbs with temporary loathing. He ignored me.

"I'll dust the area for prints," Kate offered glumly.

"Gloves," Tony said, holding out three pairs of latex gloves. Ziva and Kate reached out and took them after Tony had gotten his on. They methodically started going about the bullpen in search of any evidence. I could see they were experts in this just by the professional, resigned looks on their faces.

Ziva POV

I can't believe I even thought of telling Daniel such a thing. How could he love someone like me, anyway? Emotion will only get in the way of the task at hand. I'll have to put my feelings aside for now, otherwise I'll be too distracted to do anything other than think of him.

"Found something," Tony announced. "Looks like our attacker left behind some of her nail job."

"Her?" Kate mumbled in comfusion.

"Yup, look here. Some nail polish, see?" He help up a plastic bag. I squinted to see its contents. There was a sliver of what looked like black nail polish.

"I'll have that analyzed later."

"Hey, Ziva, are you okay?" Tony asked as Kate finished up with the, er, crime scene, I guess you'd say.

"I'm fine," I muttered, trying to find something to distract myself. I briefly wondered when Abby would be back. Tony huffed. He didn't believe me.

"Don't give me that. I know you're bothered by something."

"Why don't you go help Kate?" I suggested. "She looks a little lonely over there. I am going to see if I can detect what orders the hypnotized individuals down there are following."

"How do you know they're hypnotized?" Tony asked increduously.

"Easy. People do not normally behave in a mob like fashion," I replied reasonably. "Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Abby POV

"Are we almost there?" I asked anxiously for the thirtieth time. Gibbs needed us. I didn't want to disappoint him.

"Not yet, Abs," McGee replied tiredly. We have been driving for over two hours, and no sign of an airport thank to Tim taking a wrong turn back there. I sighed and decided to start making stories out of the different liscense plates. Let's see...WAX 4321. A candle counting down the seconds to the end of-no, that was too depressing to think of at the moment. New distraction. I started messing with the radio.

"Abby, please stop," Tim said. I glared at him, but didn't argue. A few minutes of silence. I could hardly take much more of this. The drive back was boring!

"Why aren't we at the airport yet?" I asked finally.

"We aren't _going_ to the airport," Tim replied through gritted teeth. He was at the last of his patience. Well, that made sense. Back to my liscense plate game. Oh, darn! I couldn't read that one! Hey, a Maryland liscense plate. What state were we in, anyway?

"Don't you think we should-" I stopped talking when I saw the look on McGee's face. He was angry. Was it my fault? I couldn't think of anything remotly offensive I did since we got into the car today. Before that...well, stalling time like that was a little more than just inconvenient. It was unnecessary. I had been looking for a distraction. Well, I got it, but apparently it didn't make him the least bit happy. Tim seemed almost, I don't know, regretfull? Did he regret marrying me? No that's not it. Did he regret what we did before leaving? Possibly. That didn't make me feel any less guilty. But I couldn't bear to disturb him from his thoughts now, so the uncomfortable silence continued stifling any pleasent thoughts I once had.

"Alright, I'm going to try it now," Tim said quietly. "Don't distract me, this isn't something I've done before, obviously." Slowly, the whole car started to disappear, along with the two of us. He drove straight through traffic with ease. Within minutes the next exit came up.

"Timmy?" I asked anxiously. He didn't say anything or give a sign he had heard me. "Whatever I did to make you so angry...I'm sorry." Tim looked at me, his eyes slightly softened.

"It has nothing to do with you, Abs...I'm just frustrated is all." I sighed in relief, my conscious clear at last.

**L I N E B R E A K L I N E B R E A K L I N E B R E A K L I N E B R E A K L I N E B R E A K**

Eli wiped the smirk off his face. No way the underground facility could be detected. He let loose on bouncing the signal of his newest commands around, if only a little. Not even was he entirely sure of the exact locatin of this place. Somewhere in Georgia, he proposed. Or maybe Florida. He could never be sure. But that was a good thing, because he couldn't trust himself to keep a secret. So, the less everyone knew, the less likely it would be that anyone would be suspcious enough to come looking and find out. It would be his greatest mistake.


	42. Chapter 42

**AN: There are only a few chapters left of this story. I'll be so sad when its finally over...its my second-longest running fan fiction. Six months is a long time to be working on a story, don't you think?**

**Disclaimer: If I owned NCIS, I'd give the show a chance for them to develop Abby's character. It was done for everyone else, why not her? Alas, only in my dreams/ imagination all shall go as I wish it does. But sometimes its all for the best, no?**

Abby POV_- an hour later_

When Tim and I finally arrived on the scene, this is what we found:

Director Shepard and Fornell were both bound and gagged in the bushes, unconscious. I raced to untie them. One that was taken care of McGee gently shook them awake.

"Now what?" he asked while Jenny and Fornell stirred below us. I looked over at the NCIS building. It was currently late evening. Many things have happened in our absence it seemed. I walked quickly into the building, nodding to the gaurds on duty. They barely paid attention to me, having long since gotten used to my unusual personality and wardrobe. Upon storming into the bullpen, I found that it was completely empty, save for a roped off area of the carpet stained with blood.

"Abby," a voice said. I shrieked and spun around to see Kate standing there, holding a few bags of evidence.

"God, don't scare me like that! What's that you got there?" She handed me the evidence.

"Daniel got stabbed in the back, literally. I need this run and pronto. Gibbs is on the warpath about this and Tony, though I love him, is driving me nuts about the whole situation."

"What situation?" I said, wondering what I had missed when Tim and I had left for our honeymoon other than the blackout.

"The hypnotized people. I traced the signal of the broad cast and caught a glimpse of some underground building on the border of Georgia." I cursed under my breath. Of all the things to happen in my absensce, it had to be something I couldn't fix alone.

"This must be the NWO thing Daniel was talking about," I muttered. "I didn't think this was actually going to happen. Alright. We need everyone together. Call Ziva, Tony, Gibbs, and Daniel if he's up to walking...actually just call him but tell him to stay home. Don't hesitate to drag Tony away from his movies if you have to. We've got a serious situation on our hands." She nodded and started dialing Ziva's number.

"Ziva, get Tony and the gang to come here," Kate said. "Yes, now. It's urgent. No, just drive like you usually do." I smirked upon hearing that. Even Kate was aware of Ziva's driving...erm...skills. I went down into my lab and started switching on machines. The first bad had chips of black nail polish. How odd. It looked a lot like _my_ nail polish. Only one way to find out. I had Major Mass Spec examine the nail polish to make sure. Next bag had scraping of something I was very unsure of...perhaps blood? Paint?

I glanced down at my black and red three inch platform boots, then back at the bag in my hand. There were some scratches on my boots for some reason. I thought back to a day not long after Tim and I decided to get married...

_I was required to take my boots off when in Ziva's apartment, something about retaining the integrity of the carpet or some ridiculous reason. We had a good time together with the Chinese fortune cookies, but eventually it was time for me to leave. I carried my boots until I was outside of Ziva's apartment building. While putting them back on some woman slammed into me, knocking me to the ground._

_"I must have those shoes!" she cried out, her fingernails in a deathgrip on my precious boots. "Where'd you get them?" I stammered out the name of some mall I got the boots from years ago, startled by this crazed stranger. I finally managed to pull away from her.I ran off, terrified by that woman. Just the look in her eyes was enough to set me off, like she was possessed or something. Her hair-I remembered it being a stark blonde, seeing pale skin and electric blue eyes that seemed foreceful and demanding._

Well, all I had to do was search for someone with highly unkept nails who was obsessed with shoes like you wouldn't believe. Yup, that pretty much narrowed it down. Major Mass Spec let out a beep, anncouncing its analysis was complete. I tore my gaze away from the floor and slowly brought my eyes up to the screen before me.

Quickly, I scanned through familiar chemical compounds for the one thing that seperated my nail polish from others. Just as I feared, there it was. I stumbled back a few steps, shocked. I bought nail polish from a company that still used formaldehyde, CH2O, which is not only used as a hair straightener, but can be poisonous to people.

**Line break here**

Eli looked up at the ever darkening sky, wondering when the storm was ever going to actually come pouring down on them. He had only recently left the facility in search of a break from everything going on, growing tired of giving out orders all day long. And, well, didn't he serve it since all was well? A blonde blue eyed woman came up to him, one of the hypnotized ones.

"NCIS is searching for me. What shall we do?" the woman asked. Without a word the gun was in Eli's hand. A shot rang out. She crumpled to the ground, dead instantly. Blood pooled out under her body. Eli replaced the gun and quickly walked away from the scene. He had to hide before NCIS could point the murder to him.

**AN: Impossibly short, I know, but I'm building up to something huge, as you can see. And by huge I mean MEGA GINORMOUS HUGE. Mind-blowingly huge. It'll be like nothing you've ever seen before!**


	43. Chapter 43

This moment could wait no longer. Eli cast off, abandoning the hideout as if it never existed. _Screw this, I'm wasting too much precious time._ He hid himself in the worst storm possible: a hurricane of sorts, complete with lightning and howling winds that would tear whole buildings apart in an instant. The ground shook as he ran faster than any human on this planet. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and allowed him to be lifted up into the monstorous storm. It was faster traveling this way.

Daniel POV

No way I was staying home. Ignoring my abnormally fast healing body, due to a power I hadn't told anyone about, I decided to gather up Abby's twins and the Director's child. Maybe they'd be essential for the upcoming battle I could sense would happen someday soon. So, there I was, heading up into NCIS with three seperate baby carriers dangling from my arms. The Director was there, along with Ziva, Tony, Gibbs, my sister, and McGee.

"What are you doing here?" Abby asked. "You shouldn't be walking around after that serious injury of yours!"

"I brought a little surprise," I said., setting down the carriers.

"You brought Hayley and Tabitha and Reilly!" Abby exclaimed, her nagging forgotten. I nodded.

"I looked up the woman you mentioned Abby," Tony said. "Looks like she was murdered over an hour ago back in Gerogia. So, we're at another dead end." Surprisingly, this didn't concern Abby all that much.

"Okay, so now that we don't have a case holding us back...let's prepare for Eli's inevitable arrival," Ziva said. I noticed she didn't refer to him as 'Father' anymore. Then again, I wouldn't want to have a father like him at all.

"But, what do we do?" McGee asked. "He's strong, and has a pretty good backup of all those zombified people in Atlanta."

"No doubt they'll gain abilities too," Director Shepard added. "So we'll need to be on the lookout for anything more unusual than we've already seen."

"More unusual?" Tony chuckled. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

"Should we stay indoors, or have someone patrol the area?" Ziva asked.

"Well, we can't just stand here," I said. "This isn't getting us anywhere."

"Very true," Jenny noted. "I'll keep in touch with security, then. Everyone, just hunker down until you hear back from me." She was gone.

"Hunker down?" Tony repeated questioningly, glancing at where the redhead had vanished.

Abby POV

"I'll go ahead and make sure the kids are alright," I said, bending down to check on the sleeping infants.

"Ziva, where's Kate?" Tony asked, looking around worriedly.

"Maybe you should call her," Ziva suggested. Reilly woke up and began to cry. I took her carrier and went off to find Jenny, trying to quiet her down the whole time. On my way, I wondered what was going to happen to us when Eli finally came to destroy us. Would there be an epic battle of sorts, or would Ziva be able to talk some sense into him?

**Line break**

_Out in Georgia..._

The tank was there for a select few 'special ones' to be put into for a change like no one had ever seen before. These special five were perfectly ordinary, but were the only ones who could survive the radiation blasts. Dozens tested it and died within minutes. Five average Americans climbed into the tank some hours later.

"You have any idea what this is supposed to do?" Wallace asked, a middle aged man from Washington recently chased out of town for something he supposedly did. His grandson, Salvador, shrugged, still a teenager but nearly grown. The machine started up, and the other special ones fell silent.

"Hey, did you see that?" Bailey exclaimed, pointing at something that, Rigel, her blind husband, obviously couldn't see.

"Not exactly," Rigel muttered. Their adult daughter Emily was silent, staring at all the glowing radiation with a mild interest.

"I just hope we don't get killed like the others," Salvador said.

"Nonesense," Wallace assured him. "We'll be fine, just you wait." There was a great noise, and they knew no more. When Mandy, the one in charge of the operation, opened the tank, she found five unconscious bodies in there. She dialed a number that she only recently had come to memorize.

"Eli, it was a success," she said.

"Good. When they wake send them out into hiding. I have no intention of doing anything until their powers are developed enough to use againt NCIS. In the meantime, they'll be trapped by my storms."

"Of course, sir. Where shall I send them?"

"Anywhere close by but undetectable. After that, give yourself the day off. You deserve it." Mandy smiled to herself as she hung up. So the world would be changed for the better, huh? It was a dream come true.

**Line break**

Kate POV

"Shit," I muttered. Stupid traffic. I was running late. Probably should call Tony and tell him everything was fine...but my phone only had five minutes of battery left. The charger was all the way back at my house and there was no time to grab it.

"Tony," I whispered once he had picked up the phone. "I don't have much time to talk. Everything's fine, I promise, but I'll be there a little later than I thought. Tell Gibbs I will be there soon."

"Okay, cool. Can't wait to see you. Things are about to get super crazy. Try to get here before the storm settles in."

"What storm?" I asked, but at that moment my phone decided to die. I cursed under my breath and concentrated on the road.

Tony POV

"What happened?" Ziva said when I put my phone away.

"Lost connection to Kate. Her phone probably died or something. She doesn't know that Eli could be headed here."

"That means Kate could be in the most danger out of all of us," McGee said.

"Ziva, go see if you can find her," Gibbs ordered, coming back into the bullpen with Abby.

"I don't think that's a good idea, boss," I said nervously. "You see Eli could come here at any time, and if you've seen the weather channel at all..." He gave me a look.

"It is true," Abby spoke up. "You saw that broadcast, didn't you, Gibbs?"

"Yeah, I was there."

"Its getting pretty bad down south and the storm is moving insanely fast," Abby babbled. "Like, you wouldn't believe the damage Eli's been causing the past hour. And he's already out of Georgia. At this rate he could be here by late tonight, maybe sooner." I glanced at my watch. There was still time, but not much of it. Five hours at the most. I just hoped Kate would get here soon. We needed her. I needed her. I couldn't lose her again.


	44. Chapter 44

**AN: YEA I'M BACK, BABY! WHOOP! Who's happy for me for finally coming back to this story? Ironically I was going to update something in Harry Potter, but I was in a major NCIS mood because in a matter of days Season 9 will premire! WOOT WOOT! I'm going to stay up and watch it in my dad's bedroom even if my homework isn't finished, because, frankly, at that point school will feel less important than the awesome world of NCIS.**

Abby POV

Five hours later

The battle of man(andwoman)kind against nature was brutal. To witness something like this was something I thought I'd only see in a movie Tony would end up quoting. Speaking of...

"Wow, so..._2012_ was still worse than this," Tony commented as we all hid under our desks, Kate under Tony's, Ziva under Gibbs's, Jenny under Ziva's, Gibbs off to the side by the elevator, and Tony under Kate's desk. Daniel stood next to Gibbs where he tended to the children, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Winds are getting to be past Cat five," Jenny announced quietly. She was listening to a mini radio near her little hiding spot.

"Eli is close," Kate said, wincing slightly. Tony glanced over at her.

"What's our next course of action?" Ziva asked.

"Alert Ducky and Jimmy down in autopsy. Be careful, for-" At that moment, there was a tearing noise somewhere down below, as if the winds were ripping the building apart.

"That would be Abby's lab," Jenny said sadly. "I don't think the place was made to be very storm proof. Guys, brace yourselves for any sudden collapse of the squad room. I have a feeling something else might happen very soon." Ziva carefully made her way to the stairs, not trusting the elevator, obviously. The building was shaking slightly, but otherwise nothing major had happened. Yet. McGee took cover under his own desk. I gladly joined him.

"Abs, you okay?" he asked quietly after a while.

"I'm actually kind of bored," I replied. "Where's all the excitement when you need it?" Tim rolled his eyes. Whoops, guess that wasn't an appropriate response. Oh well. The building shook again, a little harder this time. Ducky and Jimmy came up. Jimmy was covered in ceiling plaster and had a bleeding cut on his cheek, but otherwise looked fine. Ducky was completely unharmed.

"That was a close call," Jimmy said.

"You were very brave down there, my boy," Ducky told him.

"What happened?" Tony asked.

"Mr. Palmer here noticed I was in grave danger when the floor above us began to collapse and managed to pull me out of the way a second before this happened," Ducky explained as the building shook with much more force, so much so that the ME had to grab onto something in order to maintain his balance. Jimmy stumbled, while Daniel fell to the floor. Gibbs was the only one unaffected by this event.

"Wow, this is getting pretty serious," I commented.

"Winds are uncalculatable," Jenny said.

"Could we play a game?" Tony whined. "I don't like just sitting here?"

"Really?" Gibbs asked ironically. "I always thought you loved lazing around."

"That was just a front," he argued. "You know I work hard behind the scenes, boss." The floor shook, and this time everything collapsed around us. All I could register were my screams as I fell down, down, and still down with no sign of stopping. A cushioning sensation, and I managed to land safely.

"Thanks, Jen," I heard Gibbs say. It was dark way down here. No power. I was laying under what was left of Major Mass Spec, being nearly crushed by a huge piece of monitor.

"Tony? Help me up, please," Kate said from somewhere nearby. There was a brief silence. I took this time to gather my thoughts. My side was beginning to hurt, and my arm felt numb from being pinned underneath me.

"Where's Daniel?" Ziva asked from the entrance.

"Here," my brother called weakly.

"Is everyone alright?" Ducky queried.

"Ducky, I can't get this off me," I said. "Someone go check on the kids."

"I'm on it!" Palmer blurted. I heard footsteps run out of my lab.

"Okay...I'm good," Jenny said. Ducky pulled the monitor off of me and I awkwardly got to my feet just as I felt a pair of arms wrap around me.

"I'm so glad you're okay," McGee whispered into my ear. Instantly, I forgot about all my troubles. I forgot that there was a storm threatening to rip us all apart. All that mattered was the man holding me tight. I brought my lips to his in a heated moment of passion. Everything else melted away.

"The kids are fine!" Jimmy called. "I've got them!" McGee and I broke away. I could feel my cheeks getting hot despite the fact that it was dark and he probably didn't see us. Tim took this moment to start massaging my shoulders, and I almost turned around and kissed him again. _Now is a bad time to have raging horomones..._but at the moment I didn't care and just did it anyway. He wrapped his arms around my waist and deepened the kiss, putting more feeling into it than I ever thought possible at a time like this.

"We should...save this...for later," McGee panted.

"No," I gasped in response. "We only have so long to be together." At that moment, everything exploded all around us.

**Line break-it would have been so cruel for me to end it right there, wouldn't it?**

I was thrown backwards into the wall, ripped away from the one person I loved most, and instantly blacked out.

Jenny POV

Abby was thrown back against the wall and fell unconscious. I managed to remain coherent while everything around me was basically going downhill; a habit I picked up being the Director of NCIS. Jimmy kept hold of Abby's twins and my daughter, remaining in the stair well for safety. Gibbs, of course was unharmed. Ziva and the others had minor scrapes and bruises, but nothing serious. Daniel and Ducky were also fine. That could've gone a whole lot worse. Except, now we had no protection against the strong winds and rains beating down on us. Everyone was in danger of getting blown away.

"Get down and grab onto something!" I shouted, crawling around on my hands and knees in search of something stable. How none of us managed to stay this intact was a complete mystery to me, but I decided not to question it at the moment. If it meant we got to stay alive, then I'll take what I can get.

"Jethro, what's the status?" I called.

"Storm's going crazy, but I see Eli out there somewhere conducting this mess." This was it. Someone needed to wake up Abby so we could fight this battle any way we could.

"I'm ready for this!" Ziva declared, going wolf in preparation for the future's events. That was when I realized the reason we weren't being blown away. Someone was unconsciously putting a shield around us.

"There's a shield here," I said. "I have no idea hwo big it is, but stay in the area so you don't get sucked into the storm out there. Now, let's take down this guy once and for all."

**AN: Tada, what do ya think of my long awaited for update? Reviews are love! Abby hugs to all!**


	45. Chapter 45

**AN: This may or may not be the final chapter...no don't cry! It'll be okay! No, there will not be a sequel. But this won't be the last you'll see of me. One other story is begging to be completed. So sorry. I want to drag this on and on for 50 chapters or more but I have to move onto some new stuff if I want to feel accomplished at all. So, here we go. Let's see how this turns out.**

**Disclaimer: Do I LOOK smart enough to create an episode-worthy script? Well, maybe, but that doesn't change anything. I'm not doing this to make money. Or for fame, either, although I do appreciate all the positive feedback.**

Abby POV

"Huh?" I woke up to complete chaos. Jenny pulled me to my feet and we faced the enemy together.

"Mr. Palmer, go out for help," Ducky instructed. "I will keep the children safe."

"We need to fight off this storm!" Ziva shouted over the winds. She was in her wolf form now and somehow still able to speak. Ah, well, I wasn't about to question it. "I shall go out there."

"No!" Kate argued. "We need to stay here. Jenny said that shield is the only thing protecting us from blown to oblivion. We need a plan. Eli will get tired of this eventually, if you can look, you'll see the storm is losing strength." I squinted into the pounding rain and could just make out Eli conducting this whole mess.

"Does he have a weakness of any sort?" I asked warily. There had to be a way out of this.

"Of course he does," Ziva said. "It is me." We were all silent. "I shall go after him. Do not try and stop me. Maybe I can make him see reason."

"Are you insane?" Daniel blurted. "There is a hurricane! The only thing keeping us alive is some shield, and we don't even know where it's coming from!"

**Line break**

_**Meanwhile...**_

"We are the special ones...so we deserve special treatment!"

"No, sorry, you four are coming with me to the big house for questioning-" The officer crumpled to the ground, dead. They all looked at each other.

"No one can mess with us anymore." One was dead. Four remained. They had to stick together in order to survive.

**Line break- OH MY GOD THIS IS HARD TO WRITE...need...inspiration...**

While the others stood there arguing, I turned my attention to Jimmy and the children. I had noticed in past weeks that they developed much...quicker than normal. Mentally, I mean. Tabitha and Hayley both seemed bright enough. Already they were able to recognize their own names and sit up on their own. Tabitha and Hayley were identical in looks, making it hard to tell them apart. Tabitha wore a red bow in her hair, while Tim had put a red one in Hayley's. This was the only difference between them.

"Something's up with them," I mumbled to myself. "I need to find out what."

"That was stupid of you to do," Tony said. I looked over at him, brought back to reality at last.

"What happened?"

"Ziva tried going after her father and she got injured."

"How bad is she?"

"Not too bad," Ziva called weakly from the floor. There was a whole lot of blood, and Ducky was tending to what looked like a great gash in one of her legs.

"Looks like you're down for the count," Daniel said. "We need a better strategy. Looks like you aren't really his weakness." Ziva rolled her eyes and ignored him.

"We need to try something else, then," Kate spoke up from the corner of my lab.

"I think we should wait for the storm to stop," McGee said unexpectedly. "Us going out there is just going to mean more of what Ziva got, only worse. Or death." I shook my head. We were running out of time. Kate exchanged a glance with me and nodded in understanding. She knew what I was thinking. So, without a hesitation, I leaped into the storm at Eli, who was caught at complete unawares. The last thing I was aware of was Eli and I falling to the ground together, intense pain, and then blackness.

General POV

"Abby!" McGee cried out, watching in horror as Abby fell. At that moment, the storm came to a sudden halt. Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to do next. Eli moaned, severely injured from a forty foot fall.

"What are you waiting for?" Gibbs asked. "Go get her." Ducky ran out to collect the fallen forensic specialist.

"I...can't believe she did that," Tony said.

"Something cushioned her fall," Ducky murmured to himself, examining Abby for injuries. "She has minor bruising and a concussion. She is lucky to not have gotten broken bones. My question is, where did the shield come from?" Nobody seemed to know.

"Let's get her into autopsy, Doctor," Palmer said.

"I will watch the kids," Jenny said, walking to the twins and letting her own daughter out so she could be fed. Things were quiet for a minute as Ducky carried Abby away from the scene, Jimmy loyally following him out.

"Want me to help?" Kate offered. Daniel tended to Ziva, talking to her quietly in the background.

"We need to get this place rebuilt," Gibbs said, nodding at the damage.

"I think I can do that," Jenny said unexpectedly. "Stand back so I can concentrate. In fact, why don't all of you get out so I can repair the damage all over the building?"

"Tell Ducky to get Abby to his house," Gibbs instructed McGee. The agent nodded and left the lab.

"Can you stand?" Daniel asked Ziva.

"I can try," was her quiet response. She attempted to get to her feet. Tony and Kate left the lab hand in hand, whispering about something. Ziva stood up, only to fall to the floor again. Daniel just managed to catch her.

"Here, lean on me." It wasn't a suggestion. Soon, the redheaded Director was along in the destroyed lab.

"Everyone headed to Ducky's house?" Gibbs nodded. "Good. I'll let you know when everything's finished. Take the kids with you."

"McGee got it taken care of. I'll see you soon." Jenny smiled at him. She recieved the briefest of smiles in return. Meanwhile, Eli had lost consciousness due to the pain. He was still being largely ignored. He had lost a whole ton of blood from the angle of his fall. He'd be dead within the hour. Far away, five individuals each collapsed to the ground for no apparent reason, unmoving and unresponsive. When they woke up, they had no memory of the experiement, or of the past five days. They were arrested for causing damage in numerous cities they did not remember ever being in at all. Within hours, they escaped. They would never be seen again.

**AN: This did not turn out the way I wanted it to. I know I talked up a huge 'battle' scene but it just could not be done. Sorry. This was the best I could come up with. Sorry it's so rushed. I'm really trying to end this so I can focus on other things. Hope you guys understand! I hope the chapter was good anyway.**


	46. Chapter 46

**AN: Uh huh! UH HUH! *dances around in excitement***

**Anyway. This is the final chapter. It's been fun. NO, DON'T CRY! You're going to make me start crying too and then my keyboard will be shorted out from tears and this chapter will NEVER get done. Anyway. NO sentiemnt allowed until this chapter reaches its conclusion, got it? PROMISE? Good. Now I don't have to sic Jethro on you. No, the dog! Jeez, you people...**

**Disclaimer: WHO IS TELLING ME THESE LIES? BELLISARIO DOES NOT OWN NCIS, I DO- I mean...of **_**course**_** he owns it...hehe...**

**P.S. I FINALLY GOT CHEETOS! (If you paid attention to Not What it Seems you'll know what I'm talking about)**

**Songs are:**

**Good Enough- Evanescence(Kate)**

**You Can't Stop the Beat- Hairspray(Abby)**

**This Love- Maroon 5(Tony)**

_Some months later..._

Abby POV

"You sure this was a good idea?" Kate asked me. "Really? Don't fool with me now." I nodded and pushed her forward.

"You've got to live some time!" I encouraged. "Now get out there and knock Tony dead with your awesome makeover! But better than that...he'll be speechless at your amazing voice." She smiled weakly and stepped out onto the stage. I ran out, jumped down from the stage and sat down next to Tim at the bar counter.

"Double vodka?" the bartender offered. I smiled again and shook my head.

"You've got to live some time," Tim said. I stared in shock at him.

"On second thought," I called. "Give me a beer. It's going to be a long night. Might as well have some fun." Kate started singing, and suddenly, everyone fell silent. All eyes were traind on her. I could hardly contain my excitement at seeing Kate so...beautiful. She wore a low cut burgandy dress that really brought out her eyes which came to a sudden halt just above her knees. Her heair was pulled back into a simple ponytail to emphasis what I had done to her face: dark eyeshadow, eye liner, maroon lipstick, and blush to bring out color in her cheeks. I glanced at Tony, wondering what he was thinking.

_Under your spell again  
I can't say no to you  
Crave my heart and it's bleeding in your hand  
I can't say no to you_

_Shouldn't let you torture me so sweetly  
Now I can't let go of this dream  
Can't breathe but I feel..._

_Good enough  
I feel good enough for you_

"Oh. My God." Tony whispered in complete shock. Ziva and Daniel exchanged a glance. Jenny put her head on Gibbs's shoulder, smiling at the woman singing on stage.

_Drink up sweet decadance  
I can't say no to you  
And I've completely lost myself, and I don't mind  
I can't say no to you_

_Shouldn't let you conquer me completely  
Now I can't let go of this dream  
Can't believe that I feel..._

_Good enough  
I feel good enough  
It's been such a long time coming but I feel good_

_And I'm still waiting for the rain to fall  
Pour real life down on me  
'Cause I can't hold on to anything this good enough  
Am I good enough for you to love me too?_

_So take care of what you ask of me  
'Cause I can't say no  
_  
"Who's next?" Kate asked sweetly, stepping down from the stage and going over to kiss Tony on the cheek. A mischevious smile curled across my face. I drained the rest of my glass and held out my hand.

"Give me that mike."

_You can't stop an avalanche  
As it rolls down the hill  
You can try to stop the seasons  
But you know you never will  
And you can try to stop my dancin' feet  
But I just connot stand still_

_'Cause the world keeps spinnin'  
Round and round  
And my heart's keeping time  
To the speed of sound  
I was lost till I heard the drums  
Then I found my way  
'Cause you can't stop the beat_

_5, 6, 7, 8!_

_Ever since this old world began  
A woman found out if she shook it  
She could shake up a man  
And so I'm gonna shake and shimmy it  
The best I can today  
'Cause you can't stop  
The motion of the ocean  
Or the sun in the sky  
You can wonder if you wanna  
But I never ask why  
If you hold me down I'm gonna spit in your eye and say  
That you can't stop the beat!_

_You can't stop a river  
As it rushes out to sea  
You can try to stop the hands of time  
But you know it just can't be  
And if they try to stop us Artie  
I'll call the N Double ACP_

_'Cause the world keeps spinning  
Round and round  
And my heart's keeping time  
To the speed of sound  
__I was lost til I heard the drums  
Then I found my way  
Cause you can't stop the beat_

Ever since we first saw the light  
A man and woman liked to shake it  
On a Saturday night  
So I'm gonna shake and shimmy it  
With all my might today  
'Cause you can't stop  
The motion of the ocean  
Or the rain from above  
You can try to stop the paradise  
We're dreamin' of  
But you cannot stop the rhythm  
Of two hearts in love to stay  
Cause you can't stop the beat!

You can't stop today  
As it comes speeding down the track  
Child, yesterday is history  
And it's never coming back  
Cause tomorrow is a brand new day  
And it don't know white from black

Yeah!

Cause the world keeps spinning  
Round and round  
And my heart's keeping time  
To the speed of sound  
I was lost til I heard the drums  
Then I found my way  
'Cause you can't stop the beat

Ever since we first saw the sun  
A man and woman liked to shake it  
When the day is done  
And so I'm gonna shake and shimmy it  
And have some fun today  
Cause you can't stop  
The motion of the ocean  
Or the rain from above  
They can try to stop the paradise  
We're dreaming of  
But you cannot stop the rhythm  
Of two hearts in love to stay  
You can't stop the beat!

You can't stop the beat!  
You can't stop the beat!  
You can't stop the beat!  
You can't stop the beat! 

I smirked at the audience and gracefully leapt off the stage, effortlessly tossing the micorphone to Tony. He grinned at me and made no hesitation to sing his own song up there. Classic Tony all the way. I recognized a song by Maroon 5 he had chosen completely at random. I asked for another round from the bartender and downed most of the glass almost instantly.

_I was so high I did not recognize  
The fire burning in her eyes  
The chaos that controlled my mind  
Whispered goodbye and she got on a plane  
Never to return again  
But always in my heart_

This love has taken its toll on me  
She said Goodbye too many times before  
And her heart is breaking in front of me  
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore

I tried my best to feed her appetite  
Keep her coming every night  
So hard to keep her satisfied  
Kept playing love like it was just a game  
Pretending to feel the same  
Then turn around and leave again

This love has taken its toll on me  
She said Goodbye too many times before  
And her heart is breaking in front of me  
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore

I'll fix these broken things  
Repair your broken wings  
And make sure everything's alright  
My pressure on your hips  
Sinking my fingertips  
Into every inch of you  
Cause I know that's what you want me to do

This love has taken its toll on me  
She said Goodbye too many times before  
And her heart is breaking in front of me  
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore

This love has taken its toll on me  
She said Goodbye too many times before  
And my heart is breaking in front of me  
She said Goodbye too many times before

This love has taken its toll on me  
She said Goodbye too many times before  
And her heart is breaking in front of me  
I have no choice cause I won't say goodbye anymore... 

Several glasses later, I look over at Tim. He shook his head rapily and hid behind the wine menu. I yanked the menu out of his hands and shoved him onto the stage.

"No, no no! I am not doing this!" Tim cried out.

"It's just one song!" I begged. "Come on, do it for me." Finally, he sighed, and nodded to the DJ with a resigned look on his face. A new song began to play.

_Lights go out and I can't be saved  
Tides that I tried to swim against  
You've put me down upon my knees  
Oh I beg, I beg and plead (singing)  
Come out of things unsaid, shoot an apple of my head (and a)  
Trouble that can't be named, tigers waiting to be tamed (singing)  
You are, you are_

Confusion never stops, closing walls and ticking clocks (gonna)  
Come back and take you home, I could not stop, that you now know (singing)  
Come out upon my seas, curse missed opportunities (am I)  
A part of the cure, or am I part of the disease (singing)

You are [6x]  
And nothing else compares  
Oh no nothing else compares  
And nothing else compares

You are [continues in background]  
Home, home, where I wanted to go  
Home, home, where I wanted to go  
Home, home, where I wanted to go  
Home, home where I wanted to go  
  
"How was that?" Tim asked quietly as he took his place next to me. I shrugged and asked the bartender for a vodka.

"Abby, you've had quite a bit to drink tonight," Jenny commented. "It isn't even that late yet."

"I don't care! It's Friday!"

"TGIF!" Tony shouted.

"Oh yeah!" Kate said, grinning up at him from over her third glass of wine.

"We only live once," I told the Director. "It might was well be now." She carefully took down her bun and shook it out. Her hair now fell past her shoulders. Its darker shade made her look more mysterious and mature. Later that night, we emerged from the bar in high spirits. Gibbs had left early to visit Ducky. Daniel had to take Ziva home after that, because she started a fight with someone over Mossad and her religion. Kate and Tony also left early complaining of an early hangover setting in but I could tell that they had other plans in mind. So, it was just me, the Director, and Tim.

"Life on the open road!" I shrieked while Jenny started the car.

"You need to take her home," Jenny said. What? Take who home? I'm so confused. Was there someone else in the car?

"Don't worry, I will," my husband promised.

"Are you cheating on me?" My voice sounded very slurred, how strange. I was pronouncing everything properly.

"No, I'd never do such a thing!"

"You are, aren't you?"

"Abs, you're drunk."

"I'M WHAT?" That sounded funny. Druck thunk tunk sunk runk. I started laughing. One problem with that, though. I couldn't seem to stop.

"Thunk in the trunk."

"Come on, get inside."

"Look!" I cried out, stumbling on the pavement. "There's a trunk right here! I LOVE YOU!" I hugged the tree with all my might. Tim dragged me away. Why didn't he want me to be with my true love? I loved that tree. No. Not loved. LOVE. I still love the tree. We must be together! Star crossed lovers. Romeo and Juliet. We were meant to be.

"Why are you babbling on about Shakespeare?" Tim asked increduously. Obviously someone didn't understand how my mind worked. At least Kate did, before she went off and DIED on me.

"Kate isn't dead anymore." When did we get inside? When was I placed on this couch? I'm so confused...time always seemed to get away from me like this.

"It's been a year, you know," I continued. "Since she...died, as you say."

"How could you remember such a thing when just a second ago-oh, never mind." My husband sighed, giving up on something. On me? On...what? I stared at him, wondering when I started seeing double. Maybe it was some kind of super power.

"I went to her grave, you know." This was important. He had to know this. I don't know why. He just had to know. Better now that never. We only jive once. That was it, wasn't it? Maybe it was dive once...everything was getting fuzzy.

"Why? When? Why?"

"It was a week after she died. I was upset. I just wanted to say goodbye. I hated Ziva for awhile. But I couldn't hate her for long." _Shut up! You're saying too much._

"Abs, you're talking way too fast."

"I...I miss Kate..."

"Shh. Sleep, my sweet." His lips grazed my forehead. My eyes slid shut, and I knew no more.

_'I'll always be here.'_ I jolted in shock.

"What is it?"

"Oh, nothing." A small smile remained on my face as I drifted off to sleep. Goodnight, Kate, I thought. So glad to have you back...

**AN: This story has a special thanks to:**

**Evanescence**

**YouTube**

**iTunes**

**the fact I have way too much free time on my hands**

**Cheetos(:D)**

**Riding in a limo today**

**My loyal reviewers! You guys are awesome**

**EXTRA SPECIAL THANKS TO:**

**Bellisario, for making such a wonderful show**

**, without you...I wouldn't have been able to get this far in my writing**

**MY MOM! Hehe. I don't know.**

**Um...my reviewers again! Yay!**

**Uh...end of the mini credits?**

**So long for now! Until next time, readers!**


End file.
